Procurement Manager

Avove; Durham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading utilities infrastructure firm in the UK is seeking a Procurement Manager to oversee strategic procurement and supplier relationships. This role requires expertise in negotiating contracts and managing procurement cost savings. The ideal candidate will have experience in the construction and utilities sectors and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills. Competitive salary and a variety of flexible benefits offered.

Benefits

24 days holiday plus bank holidays

Company pension scheme

Life assurance

Private GP Helpline

Employee assistance program

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in procurement within dynamic organizations.
• Background in construction, infrastructure maintenance, or utilities.
• Proven expertise in price negotiation and contract creation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee strategic management of procurement categories.
• Lead creation of Master Agreements and cost savings initiatives.
• Build strong relationships across departments and clients.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Contract negotiation

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Interpersonal skills

Job description

Overview

Procurement Manager

Working here isn t just a job. You can advance your career at Avove, and we ll reward you with a range of benefits that recognise great work. We provide full training and continuous development to help you reach your potential. We strive to create an inclusive working environment where everyone can be themselves. Join us and take the next step towards a fulfilling career.

About the role

As a Procurement Manager at Avove, you ll be at the centre of our Procurement, Fleet and Plant team working closely with stakeholders to manage supplier relationships, oversee contract mobilisations, and drive best practice across procurement and supply chain management. Your day will involve supporting strategic procurement, leading category management, and ensuring commercial value through effective negotiations and supplier sourcing. This role is an opportunity for someone looking for a diverse, fast paced working environment and the opportunity to take real ownership and make a difference. If you are ready to make a real impact in a supportive, inclusive environment while advancing your career, this is the opportunity for you.

What will your day look like

• Oversee strategic management of designated procurement categories, ensuring competitive pricing for goods and services.
• Develop and implement category strategies, including market intelligence and sourcing plans aligned with business needs.
• Lead the creation of Master Agreements and manage procurement cost savings initiatives and reporting.
• Maintain and enhance procurement processes, supplier KPIs, and deliver on client-facing procurement objectives.
• Build strong working relationships across departments, clients, and procurement, managing sourcing for diverse projects.
• Take ownership of strategic sourcing, especially for utility-related works, in a fast-paced and impactful environment.

About you

To excel as a Procurement Manager at Avove, you should bring substantial experience in procurement within dynamic, fast-paced organisations. Ideally, you will have a background in procuring construction, infrastructure maintenance, subcontract services, or utilities. A strong history of conducting fair, ethical negotiations with supply chain partners and consistently achieving procurement cost savings is essential. You will also need a solid grasp of procurement and supply chain management principles, along with proven commercial expertise in price negotiation, contract creation, and conducting requests for quotation and tender processes. Successful candidates will demonstrate vision in developing innovative procurement solutions and possess excellent interpersonal skills, including confidence, drive, attention to detail, effective communication, and the ability to influence and challenge constructively.

What s in it for you

We offer a rewarding salary that is tailored to your skills and experience. But that s not all! We celebrate hard work and give recognition to our colleagues. In addition to this, we understand that one size doesn t fit all so everyone has access to a variety of flexible benefits that work for you.

• 24 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Company pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Private GP Helpline & Health Cash Plan
• Avove Discount Scheme
• Family friendly policies
• A selection of lifestyle benefit options
• Financial wellbeing programme
• Employee assistance program for health and wellbeing and onsite mental health first aiders to support our colleagues
• We love to give back so we offer you volunteering days in your community and charity matched giving where we will boost your fundraising.

About us

We design, build and maintain the UK s utilities infrastructure to help transform local communities for the better. We provide cutting-edge and sustainable engineering solutions and play a critical role in helping to keep the water running, the lights on and people connected.

We are an expert, responsible and agile partner, providing vital services to water, power and telecommunications sectors. We work closely with our clients to help protect and improve their assets, enhance customer experience and protect the natural environment. Everything we do is designed to drive continual improvement and move life forward.

We are proud to work in partnership with leading utility providers, including Severn Trent, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Northern PowerGrid, Northumbrian Water Group, Scottish Power Energy Networks and Scottish Water

We are an equal opportunities employer

We welcome applications from candidates of all races, genders, disabilities, religions, ages and sexual orientations. We know that having a diverse workforce encourages new perspectives, inspires creativity and creates an engaging workplace and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all colleagues can thrive. When it comes to inclusion, we re making sure we keep up the progress with our Communities of Practice, who help us do just that.

What next

We encourage you to apply for this role as soon as you can. We recognise talent waits for no one, so we progress candidates individually through all stages of recruitment process.

If you have any questions, please reach out for an informal discussion.