We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes. 

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

About the College/Department

The Finance and Procurement teams plays a crucial role in enabling the University to deliver on its strategic aims. This involves managing and maximising the University’s financial resources while providing expert financial advice and support to the wider University community. Our responsibilities encompass a wide range of essential functions, including providing strategic business partnering, delivering value from supplier relationships, managing effective working capital and cashflow and providing key financial support for our students. Additionally, we oversee all aspects of payroll and pensions management, and deliver comprehensive support for financial systems, tax compliance, and audit needs. Through these activities, we provide assurance to the University community around the financial health and efficiency of the University, supporting its mission and operation.

About the Role

This role sits in the University’s centralised core Procurement team within Finance, which collectively supports a devolved purchasing activity at the Kedleston Road, Derby main campus and across two other campuses at Buxton and Chesterfield.  

The Assistant Category Specialist role will work as part of the category led strategic procurement function, supporting the procurement categories with a high annual spend, and supporting a robust, fit for purpose category management approach that embraces our core values, drives sustainable business practice and delivers best value to the University and our partners. 

The Assistant Category Specialist will conduct supply and market analysis, support and deliver tender activities, manage a small portfolio of preferred suppliers including supplier onboarding, resolving and escalated supplier issues to delivering category savings, input and support category sourcing strategies, projects, contract management for other areas on an ad hoc basis and play an active role in communicating departmental strategies and best practices. 

About You

You’ll be a central contributor to a collaborative, forward thinking team committed to excellence and the University’s core values. With a strong focus on sustainability, you’ll help deliver key environmental initiatives and contribute to the University’s Flexible Framework goals. 

We are seeking a motivated procurement professional with a Level 5 CIPS qualification - or the willingness to work towards this qualification - to join our team and help drive excellence across our procurement activities. You will bring experience of working within organisational policies and public procurement environments, along with confidence using E-Tendering systems to deliver compliant, value driven outcomes. Skilled at collaborating with staff at all levels, you will have an understanding of the legal aspects of purchasing and the public sector tendering process to ensure transparency, fairness, and robust governance. If you are ready to contribute your expertise to a dynamic, supportive team and help shape best practice procurement, we’d love to hear from you.

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development

Key Contact

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Graham Caborn, Procurement Business Partner via g.caborn@derby.ac.uk 

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk

Important Information

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK. 

Please visit our website for more information.

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern. 

Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy here.

Closing Date: 27 Apr 2026

Area: Operational Support

Salary: £28,636 to £30,394 per annum
(for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £34,953 per annum)