Procurement Business Partner

South West Water; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water and renewables company based in Exeter seeks a Procurement Business Partner to develop and manage procurement strategies. This hybrid role offers a competitive salary of up to £52,000 per annum and excellent benefits. Candidates should have a strong commercial mindset, relevant procurement experience, and excellent negotiation skills. Join us in driving progress and building a sustainable future.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Discretionary bonus

Contributory pension

Health benefits

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Strong commercial and strategic mindset with procurement knowledge.
• Experience in procurement of IT goods and services.
• Excellent negotiation and client/supplier management skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise stakeholders on procurement planning and compliance.
• Create long-term procurement strategies for high-value categories.
• Lead sourcing process from contract design to negotiation.

Skills

Commercial thinking

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

ERP systems knowledge

Supply chain efficiency

Education

CIPS qualification (or working towards)

Tools

SRM sourcing tools

e-procurement tools

Job description

Overview

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 Partner to 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 of up to £52,000 per annum plus 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/supplier 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
• Various health benefits
• Wellbeing support programmes
• A range of Group Discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Financial support services
• And plenty more

Closing date: 1st October 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.