Procurement Business Partner

South West Water; Bristol, Redhill, Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the water industry is seeking a Procurement Business Partner for a hybrid role based in Exeter, Bristol, or Redhill. The successful candidate will support various teams in the procurement lifecycle, manage supplier relationships, and contribute to strategic objectives.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays

Discretionary Bonus

Competitive Contributory Pension

Share-save Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Strong commercial focus in procurement.
• Experience delivering cost savings in supply chain management.
• Working knowledge of procurement regulations.

Responsibilities

• Advise stakeholders on procurement planning and compliance.
• Lead sourcing process from contract design to negotiation.
• Monitor supplier performance and manage contract reviews.

Skills

Strong commercial and strategic mind-set

Experience in supply chain management

Excellent verbal communication skills

Proven strong negotiation skills

Stakeholder management skills

Knowledge of UK/EU Procurement Regulations

Knowledge of ERP systems and e-procurement tools

Education

CIPS qualification or working towards

Job description

Exeter, Bristol or Redhill /Property and Facilities /Permanent full-time

At Pennon Group, we’re proud to be leading the way in the water and renewables industries. Alongside our subsidiaries - South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, SES Water, Pennon Water Services and Pennon Power - we’re committed to delivering a sustainable future of our region. Because we know that by continually driving up our standards today, we’ll build a better tomorrow for our communities.

We currently have a great permanent opportunity for a Procurement Business Partnerto join our team based in Exeter, Bristol, or Redhill. This is a hybrid role with 2 days per week in the office and the remainder of time working from home. You will receive a competitive salary ofup to£52,000 per annumplus excellent benefits.

About the role:

As Procurement Business Partner, you will support our Corporate Services, IT and Customer Services teams. You will have opportunity to develop and monitor strategies for allocated categories of spend to support purchasing requirements across the business area for the full procurement lifecycle including sourcing, contract management and supplier management.

This is a great opportunity for you demonstrate a strong commercial focus and drive efficiency to support the management of commercial risks and opportunities for the Pennon Group.

What you'll be doing:

• Procurement Business Partnering: Advise and challenge senior stakeholders on procurement planning, ensuring compliance, accountability, and risk-aware decision-making across operational and capital spend.
• Category & Commercial Strategy: Own and deliver long-term procurement strategies for high-value/risk categories, providing expert market insights and aligning plans with strategic business goals.
• Sourcing & Contracting: Lead the end-to-end sourcing process using best practice tools, from contract design and tendering to negotiation and award recommendations, ensuring legal, regulatory, and commercial compliance.
• Contract & Supplier Management: Monitor and manage supplier performance, conduct due diligence, lead contract reviews, and drive continuous improvement through data-driven KPIs and stakeholder feedback.
• Commercial Support for Projects: Provide analytical and commercial input into key business decisions and investment cases, including risk modelling and evaluation of strategic procurement projects.
• Process Improvement & Governance: Ensure procurement processes align with corporate objectives, health & safety, and environmental standards, while championing continuous improvement and efficiency.
• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Support team resilience through cross-coverage, align internal processes, and share expertise to build capability across the Procurement team and stakeholders.

What we're looking for:

• Strong commercial and strategic mind-set; understanding the role of Procurement in delivering corporate goals and managing risk
• Experience delivering efficiency/cost savings/value for money within a supply chain management function - with particular experience in the procurement of IT goods and services.
• Excellent verbal communication skills at all levels and the ability to recognise, plan and deliver business change.
• Proven strong negotiation and client/supply chain management experience; managing cost and value drivers effectively
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with a proven ability to communicate, support and challenge people across different business functions, backgrounds and all levels of seniority.
• Working knowledge of UK/EU Procurement Regulations and different forms of contracts and commercial models.
• A CIPS qualification (or working towards) would also be highly desirable
• Knowledge of ERP systems SRM sourcing and e-procurement tools

What's in it for you:

• We know that the support and commitment of our staff is key to our success so you will receive the opportunity for ongoing development and training for a long-term career with us. We’re one of the largest companies in the South West and are proud to have been awarded Investors in People recognition.
• In return, we offer an excellent range of benefits including:
• Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays
• A discretionary Bonus
• Competitive Contributory Pension
• Share-save Scheme
• A range of Group Discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Financial support services
• And plenty more!

Closing date: 30th July 2025

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values which are essential to our success are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.

We're always pleased to hear from talented people. So if you have any questions about the opportunities that we have available, or if there's anything else you'd like to know before you apply (or indeed during the application process), please don't hesitate to send your details to our Talent Acquisition Team.