Associate Category Buyer

National Grid; Warwick; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as an Associate Category Buyer, where you'll drive strategic sourcing initiatives and collaborate with experienced professionals. This role offers a unique opportunity to develop your procurement skills while contributing to the company's ambitious Net Zero goals. You'll manage end-to-end sourcing events, ensuring compliance and maximizing value. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, this position is perfect for those eager to make a significant impact in the energy sector.

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement tender events for Capital Equipment and Engineering Services.
• Understanding of risk in sourcing processes and supplier relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Support multiple strategic sourcing events and collaborate with stakeholders.
• Execute standardized strategic sourcing processes from market engagement to award.

Skills

Strategic Sourcing

Market Research

Project Management

Data Analysis

Communication

Negotiation

Problem Solving

Education

Relevant Degree

CIPS Qualification

Job description

About The Role

Are you ready to advance your career in procurement? We have an Associate Category Buyer opportunity, based at NG House in Warwick. In this role, you will play a vital part in strategic procurement operations within our Electricity Transmission Sourcing Team.

Reporting to a Category Manager, you will collaborate closely with Senior Buyers and Category Managers to deliver impactful category strategies. You will support multiple strategic sourcing events within your portfolio, working alongside experienced professionals to understand and challenge demand, set sourcing strategies, and manage events from market engagement through to award.

As the Associate Buyer, you will take ownership of several sourcing events, guiding them from start to finish and ensuring successful outcomes. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills, gain valuable experience, and contribute to the success of National Grid’s procurement initiatives.

National Grid is leading the charge towards a Net Zero future in the UK and NE of USA. We recognize that decarbonizing our electric and gas systems will require resolving many questions and seeking new partnerships, technologies, and transformative investments. Over the next 5 years, we will be investing over £60bn across our UK and US businesses. This is an exciting time for our industry that is creating significant opportunities for National Grid; this is not just a moment in time; it's a game-changing era that will shape National Grid's success for decades to come.

Given this backdrop, our supply chains face unprecedented challenges and are at the forefront of our plans, placing National Grid Procurement at the center of our Net Zero goals. We have set out an ambitious transformation plan, focused on becoming a client of choice for our supply partners whilst ensuring outstanding outcomes for our Business Units (BUs). Our strategy revolves around significant changes in three core areas:

• Partnering: We are forging closer ties with our supply chain, aligning ourselves more closely with each NG Group Business Unit (BU).
• Scale: We are leveraging the immense scale of our group to unlock even greater potential. By harnessing our collective strength, we can achieve remarkable things.
• Operational Transformation: We are revolutionizing the way we work as a team. Embracing new approaches and technologies, we are streamlining processes and making the day-to-day job simpler and more efficient.

What You'll Do

• Drive Strategic Sourcing: Support multiple strategic sourcing events within your portfolio, collaborating with Senior Category Buyers, Category Managers, and stakeholders to understand and challenge demand, ensuring the best solutions for National Grid.
• Market Insights: Assist in developing category characteristics by researching supply markets and assessing trends, opportunities, and risks. Your insights will be vital in driving continuous improvement in category strategy and procurement performance.
• Best-in-Class Procurement: Execute standardized strategic sourcing processes from market engagement to award, ensuring that goods and services are procured in a manner that maximizes value and efficiency.
• Collaborative Delivery: Work alongside Contract Managers and Procurement Programme Managers to ensure the successful delivery of contracted activities, identifying opportunities for improvement through supplier and stakeholder engagement.
• Tender Management: Deliver exceptional value by effectively managing tender events for key products essential to the business.
• Forward Planning: Contribute to effective forward planning by identifying future requirements and implementing robust forecasting to maximize the value of procured goods and services.
• Contract Development: Scope and develop regional contractual agreements that meet the needs and expectations of customer stakeholders.

About You

To be successful in this exciting opportunity, you will bring experience of the following:

• Experience in procurement tender events for Capital Equipment and/or Engineering Services.
• Involvement in running end-to-end tender events.
• Understanding of risk in sourcing processes and supplier relationship management.
• Basic knowledge of Procurement Contracts, preferably NEC.
• Experience with OJEU compliant procurement processes (Public Procurement/Utilities Contracts Regulations) is a plus.
• Relevant degree or completion of graduate/apprenticeship schemes.
• Currently studying or willing to study towards a CIPS qualification.
• Preferable experience in a Public Sector role.

Key Skills:

• Ability to support and deliver category or sourcing strategies and events compliantly.
• Strong communication skills to engage and build relationships with stakeholders.
• Effective project management, time management, and organizational skills to keep tenders on track.
• Proficient in data collation and analysis to inform decision-making for contract awards.
• Comfortable in problem-solving roles.
• Proactive attitude with a desire to learn and grow.
• Commitment to National Grid values: ‘finding a better way’, ‘doing the right thing’, and ‘making it happen’.
• Passion for enabling an affordable net zero and motivation to make a difference.
• Understanding of negotiation with the ability to identify value and benefits beyond cost.

More Information

This role is offered on a Full-Time, Permanent basis.

We are also offering hybrid / flexible working where travel to the office will be as per business need. Base location for this role will be Warwick, UK.

This role closes on 14th May 2025; however, we strongly encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible.

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About Us

Here at National Grid, we connect homes and businesses to power, making sure supply and demand match each other. We make sure the lights are on in schools, operating theatres, and sporting arenas; we’re thousands of people working on behalf of millions of people. And whatever your role, wherever you work with us, you’ll help us hit stretching targets and achieve our far-reaching goal: to secure, clean energy that supports our world far into the future. Here, you will be at the heart of energy.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value, and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

Our function covers a diverse range of categories from Indirect, IT & Digital, Network Operations (Maintenance & Repair), Gas equipment and Services to large-scale Construction and Network Equipment, with a clear mission: to enable a clean, fair, and affordable energy future through commercial, responsible, and innovative supply chain leadership.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

National Grid is an equal opportunity employer that values a broad diversity of talent, knowledge, experience, and expertise. We foster a culture of inclusion that drives employee engagement to deliver superior performance to the communities we serve. National Grid is proud to be an affirmative action employer. We encourage minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans to join the National Grid team.