Senior Buyer

Balfour Beatty plc; Motherwell; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working

25 days paid annual leave

Pension plan

Family friendly policies

Job summary

Balfour Beatty plc is seeking a Senior Buyer based at Maxim Park, Motherwell, to lead procurement for major projects and secure strategic supplier partnerships. You will own high-value spend, manage risk, and report insights to senior leadership across project and business units.

You will mentor buyers, craft strategies, and ensure timely delivery of goods and services while maintaining compliance with NEC Subcontract terms and company policies.

Qualifications

• Experience leading procurement teams and driving strategic initiatives.
• Strong negotiation, contract management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of NEC Subcontract and end-to-end procurement processes.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and develop a team of buyers and junior buyers.
• Lead high-value procurement activities with risk management.
• Develop procurement strategies for major projects.
• Oversee tendering, ITTs, bid evaluation, and contract awards.
• Negotiate with suppliers and manage critical subcontract performance.
• Provide reporting on procurement performance to senior leaders.

Skills

Leadership experience

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

NEC Subcontract knowledge

e-tendering platforms

Procurement tools

Education

Relevant business degree

MCIPS qualification (or pursuit)

Tools

Tendering software

ERP systems

Contract management software

Job description

About The Role

Amazing infrastructure isn’t the only thing that gets built here. Incredible careers do too. Join Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution team as a Senior Buyer, based from our Maxim Park office in Motherwell, Scotland, and help deliver critical infrastructure that powers communities across the region.

At Balfour Beatty Power T&D, you will take full ownership of complex procurement activities, ensure robust risk management, and provide clear, insightful reporting to senior leadership teams at both project and business unit level. Your leadership will help shape the future of Scotland’s OHL business and support the UK’s energy security and net zero ambitions.

What you’ll be doing

• Mentor, coach, and develop a team of buyers and junior buyers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support team members in achieving their goals.
• Lead by example, demonstrating best practices in procurement and stakeholder management.
• Take full ownership of high-value and high-risk procurement activities, ensuring compliance with company policies and industry best practice.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies for major projects, aligning with business objectives and risk appetite.
• Oversee procurement schedules, ensuring integration with project timelines and delivery milestones.
• Lead supplier negotiations, evaluations, and risk management for critical contracts.
• Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships focused on value, quality, and innovation.
• Oversee the end-to-end tendering process, including issuing ITTs, bid evaluation, and contract award for high-impact packages.
• Ensure robust management of subcontractor performance, addressing underperformance and escalating risks as required.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality reports and presentations on procurement performance, risks, and opportunities to senior leadership teams at project and business unit level.
• Provide commercial insight and recommendations to inform strategic decision making.
• Act as the key procurement representative in project reviews, steering groups, and business unit meetings.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely delivery of materials and services.
• Drive continuous improvement in procurement processes, leveraging data and feedback to enhance efficiency and value.
• Resolve complex supplier queries and elevate unresolved issues to senior management as appropriate.

Who we’re looking for

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills with the ability to resolve complex challenges and present well-grounded insights.
• Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage performance, and influence senior stakeholders.
• Presentation Skills: Confident in presenting procurement insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Procurement Knowledge: Experience in NEC Subcontract and commercial processes, with a strong track record in negotiation and contract management.
• Technical Expertise: Proficient in e-tendering platforms, procurement tools, and documentation standards.
• Experience: Significant procurement experience in Utilities or Construction, managing both materials suppliers and subcontractors.
• Education: Relevant business degree, MCIPS qualification (or desire to pursue it), or equivalent experience.
• Travel: Willingness to travel within Scotland and across the UK for supplier visits and project/team meetings.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us?

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

Benefits

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About Us

Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution teams work with regional, national and international electricity network owners and operators to provide technical engineering solutions across the full spectrum of the electricity grid, including overhead lines, cabling, substations and distribution networks.

From scoping and feasibility, to design, construction and on-going maintenance, our in-house experts, flexible resources and industry-leading innovations support customers in the development of some of the UK’s most ambitious power transmission and distribution projects.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion

To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at: [e-mail]