Senior Category Buyer

Job summary

The role

We are seeking an experienced professional to join our Procurement team in a senior capacity. You will contribute strategic insight, deliver measurable business benefits, and support the organisation in achieving its long-term objectives.

Job description

On a typical day you will…

• Responsible for managing and monitoring procurement activity for a set of commodities and service portfolios

• Undertake research and investigation to inform suggested routes to market for your allocated procurement projects.

• Purchasing goods and services in line with specified costs, quality and delivery requirements

• Responsible for developing alternative sources of goods and services

• Stay current and up to date on any changes that may affect the supply and demand of needed goods and services and advise others of any impact

• Assist in the development and implementation of procurement strategies across the portfolio of commodities to minimise risk to RoS and provide best value for money

• Responsible for a range of procurement activity within the set of commodities

• Representing RoS at User Intelligence Groups for collaborative procurements

• Responsible for liaising with internal customers and stakeholders on the requirements for each contract

• Responsible for developing invitations to tender and managing the procurement process from start to finish

• Responsible for ensuring suitable due diligence procedures are followed for each procurement

• Responsible for leading contract management activities within their portfolio of contracts

• Encouraging the development and use of collaborative purchasing programmes with other public sector bodies in Scotland

Person specification

Essential Criteria – Skills and Attributes for Success

We will assess you against the following Essential xperience and Technical skills during the application and assessment process:

Essential Experience

• Experience within a procurement role

• Experience in developing invitations to tender documents and timely renewal of existing contracts

• Experience in contract management and record keeping utilising digital systems in line with best practice

• Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders and suppliers

• Risk awareness when ensuring suitable due diligence procedures are followed prior to purchase of goods and services

• Promoting sustainable procurement practices and procedures throughout the organisation

• Experience in the development of procurement strategies consistent with business needs and required margins

• Strong communication, interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills

• Engages interest and participation of others and has a collaborative approach to working with others

• Proactively contributes to the team

• Resilient, self-motivated and able to work well under pressure

Technical experience

• Candidates should be MCIPS qualified (or equivalent), or be willing to work towards gaining MCIPS qualification

Behaviours

At application stage, you will be scored against the bolded Behaviours and against all Behaviours for the assessment:

Managing a quality service

• Demonstrable experience of working in procurement ensuring value for money through identifying the most efficient outcomes by working to set priorities, goals and objectives whilst maintaining quality standards

Making effective decisions

• A working knowledge of procurement policy, strategy and process, using sound judgement, knowledge and advice to provide accurate, expert and professional advice

Communicating and influencing

• Ability to work in a team environment, communicating clearly with a high degree of competency in the use of spreadsheets, finance and purchasing systems to maximise stakeholders understanding

Working together

• The ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support the delivery of business requirements and outcomes

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,026, Registers of Scotland contributes £11,885 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

This job is for you if you want…

• Work with purpose: working for the people of Scotland to set the bar for land and property registration worldwide.

• Flexible and hybrid working: depending on the role and team requirements, work when and where it’s best for you and your stakeholders.

• Benefits: enjoy pay progression, pension contributions of up to 28.97%, up to a year’s parental leave, and 38 days annual holiday, increasing to 42 days with length of service.

• Investment in professional development: we invest in all our people so that they have the right skills to be productive and confident in their job.

• Diversity and Inclusion: We are an ‘Investor in People’ and a ‘Disability Confident’ employer. We are inclusive, stronger together, and committed to putting our people first.

• Positive work culture: RoS is an agile, digital organisation using leading-edge technology. Colleagues understand their role in achieving our strategy and have the autonomy to deliver.

To learn more about RoS and what we offer visit our careers pages or watch this short video

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

Stage one - Application Process

To apply, click on 'Apply now' and complete the online application form.

You will need to submit:

1. A CV outlining your career history and how you meet the Essential and Technical criteria (max 4 pages).

1. A Statement of suitability (max 500 words) detailing how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

1. Please complete the application questions explaining how you meet the required behaviour aspects of the role (Managing a quality service, Making Effective decisions), with a maximum of 300 words for each response.

Please use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in your examples.

Your CV and Supporting statement should be submitted as a single MS Word file.

Please note:

• If we receive a high volume of applications, we may complete an initial sift on Technical Criteria.

• Applications that are not accompanied by CVs will not be scored or statements over 500 words will not be considered.

• We strongly advise you review our policy on responsible use of AI in the application process. RoS may check answers with an AI detection tool and will contact you for a pre-screening call to verify your responses.

• Applications and appointments are subject to a strict merit-based assessment process, in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Stage two – assessment

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to an in-person interview which will include the following:

• A behaviour-based interview

• Technical exercise (on the day)

Behaviour based interview questions will be given to candidates 15 minutes before the start of the interview to allow candidates to prepare in advance. You will be able to take short notes with you into the interview from your preparation.

Information on Success Profiles

For further information on success profiles, visit our Success Profiles.

Recruitment timeline

• Closing date: 13 May 2026 23:59

• Application sift: 14-18 May 2026

• Invites to assessment: 19 May 2026 (subject to change)

• Interviews: Week commencing 25 May 2026 (subject to change)

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : talent@ros.gov.uk
• Email : talent@ros.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : talent@ros.gov.uk

Further information

Further information
For further information relating to RoS, including:

Additional details on pay & benefits

The Civil Service Code

Complaints process

Use of AI in the application/recruitment process,

Please view our additional information page online

If you have any questions, please contact talent@ros.gov.uk