Procurement and Supply Chain Manager

Costain; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Costain is seeking a Procurement and Supply Chain Manager to lead project procurement and supply chain management within the Water sector. This hybrid role, based in Newcastle and Durham, offers the opportunity to drive efficiency and innovation in procurement practices, while collaborating with key stakeholders to achieve strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a similar role.
• Strong emotional intelligence and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Delivering procurement and supply chain management across the sector.
• Managing project procurement activities to meet key dates.
• Driving ESG initiatives, including local SME engagement.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Procurement practices

Operational procurement

Emotional intelligence

Education

Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (minimum Level 5)

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

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Job Description

Costain has secured extensive work across the water sector this year to support the AMP 8 investment cycle. We have been appointed by Northumbrian Water to the Living Water Enterprise to help shape and deliver its strategic infrastructure upgrade programme.

The Procurement and Supply Chain Management function is responsible for interfacing with third-party organisations supporting our business, whether for procurement of goods and services or relationship management. They support project delivery teams across our key sectors to ensure strategic goals are identified and achieved.

The role of the Procurement and Supply Chain Manager is to lead project subcontract procurement, advise project stakeholders, manage post-contract supply chain activities, and contribute to the development and deployment of category strategies aligned with group needs. The role operates within the Water sector Procurement and Supply Chain team, working closely with project leads, Sector Head of P&SC, and the wider management team. You will ensure your sector's P&SC strategy is effectively deployed, balancing operational project requirements with strategic group objectives.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to make a significant sector impact by driving efficiency, sustainability, and innovation within procurement and supply chain functions.

This is a hybrid role based in Newcastle and Durham offices, working 2-3 days per week.

Responsibilities

The role reports to the Sector Head of Procurement and Supply Chain, being part of the SLT team, leading project procurement and supply chain management across the Water sector. Key responsibilities include:

1. Delivering procurement (pre-contract) and supply chain management (post-contract) across the sector, providing guidance and support, and collaborating with pre-construction estimating and post-award commercial teams.
2. Utilising procurement processes to enable Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), guiding decision-making based on design maturity, commercial considerations, benefits pipeline, resource availability, relationships with proposed subcontractors, and governance procedures.
3. Managing project procurement activities to meet key dates and milestones, ensuring forecast accuracy, and maintaining a robust supply chain aligned with the How-to-Buy process.
4. Driving ESG initiatives, including local SME engagement, social impact delivery, and Net Zero commitments.
5. Promoting collaboration and innovation within the supply chain using ISO44001 or P13 principles.
6. Building strong relationships with internal stakeholders to promote strategic procurement and governance, unlocking value for money.
7. Engaging with client supply chain teams and external stakeholders to support their goals and maximize stakeholder engagement.
8. Optimising procurement practices to minimise disallowed costs and preserve project margins.
9. Managing supply chain performance, including addressing under-performance and sharing lessons learned.

Qualifications

Essential

• Significant experience in a similar role
• Enthusiasm for improving procurement practices
• Strong emotional intelligence and stakeholder engagement skills
• Extensive knowledge of supply chain management and procurement, especially in construction
• Experience in collaborative working and innovation implementation
• Operational procurement skills relevant to construction
• Knowledge of procurement best practices and value addition
• Basic carbon literacy and awareness of ISO20400
• Experience leading supply chain engagement and negotiations
• Experience developing ESG and SV policies
• Familiarity with NEC contracts
• Proactive, flexible, results-oriented, and adaptable
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong data analysis skills
• Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (minimum Level 5)

Desirable

• Experience negotiating modified NEC3/NEC4 subcontracts
• Knowledge of frameworks and associated procurement practices
• Expertise in ISO20400 and delivering sustainable outcomes
• Experience with ISO 44001 or Project 13 principles from concept to delivery

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About Us

Costain improves lives with smart infrastructure solutions across energy, water, transportation, and defence markets in the UK. We focus on strategic clients with national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation, or performance requirements, offering services from strategic consultancy to complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.

We are a Disability Confident employer, generally offering interviews to applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria. Note that during high-volume recruitment periods, the number of interviews may be limited. For more details, visit the Disability Confident Campaign.