Senior Category Buyer

National Grid • Permanent • Warwick, GB • £46.42k / year • 17m ago

Job Purpose

There’s never been a more exciting time to join National Grid’s Global Procurement function. As we enter an unprecedented period of investment in the UK’s electricity transmission network, with over £40bn to be invested by National Grid over the forthcoming T3 5-year OFGEM regulatory cycle between 2026 to 2031, you will be joining a growing team of talented professionals with a clear mission: to enable a clean, fair, and affordable energy future through commercial, responsible, and innovative supply chain leadership.

Working as a Sourcing Lead you will be responsible for leading complex, high value Strategic Sourcing Events that bring this new critical grid infrastructure to market. This will involve engaging and building strong working relationships with stakeholders and supply chain partners to execute our sourcing strategies and drive capital efficiencies as you take critical asset construction schemes to market, using your Procurement skillset, commercial acumen and negotiating experience to deliver value for our end consumers.

We have several opportunities within our Electricity Transmission Sourcing team, where you would work alongside a broader Procurement team of ~50 to execute our Procurement objectives in line with our Business Unit and Functional delivery requirements

What You'll Do

Deliver multiple strategic sourcing events, collaborating with stakeholders to understand demand and provide optimal commercial solutions.
Support the development and delivery of assigned category strategies while sharing best practices across category teams.
Profile category characteristics and research supply markets to assess trends, opportunities, and risks, providing insights to global teams.
Manage tender events for key products, ensuring effective delivery and value generation.
Collaborate with Contract Managers and Procurement Programme Managers to enhance contract delivery and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
Mentor and guide Buyers and Associate Buyers to uphold excellence in procurement standards and methodologies.
Contribute to forward planning by identifying future requirements and implementing robust forecasting to maximize value.

About You

Practical Experience: Supported the development and delivery of category or sourcing strategies in engineering, infrastructure, and construction sectors, managing multiple end-to-end strategic sourcing events compliantly.
Stakeholder Engagement: Confidently communicates and builds strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels to identify and influence business needs.
Project Management Skills: Effective in project management, time management, and organizational skills to keep tenders on track and ensure timely contract awards.
Data Analysis: Capable of collating and organizing data, analyzing commercial issues and opportunities during and pre-tender, providing insights for cost and contract modeling.
Problem Solving: Navigates complex organizations effectively and demonstrates strong problem-solving abilities.
Proactive Attitude: Exhibits a positive attitude and a desire to learn, embodying values of finding better ways, doing the right thing, and making things happen.
Passion for Sustainability: Committed to enabling an affordable net zero and motivated to make a difference.
Commercial Acumen: High degree of commercial acumen with demonstrable negotiation skills and a proven ability to identify opportunities that drive value and realize benefits.

What You'll Get

A salary of £46,000 - £54,000 per annum dependent on experience.
Annual bonus based on personal and company performance.
A generous pension scheme - we double match your contribution up to 12%.
26 days holiday plus the option to buy/sell up to 5 days per year.
Life insurance – 10 x annual salary
Flexible benefits (National Grid Share Incentive Plan, Salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, Support via employee assistance lines and matched charity plus many more)
Induction training on our core Procurement processes and support with regular ongoing learning and personal development including CIPS membership
Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions, course fees, books, exam fees and time off for study leave – so long as it’s relevant to your role
Generous family friendly policies and family care benefits
Access to numerous apps which support health, fitness and wellbeing
Opportunity to be part of our Employee Resource groups

More Information

This role is offered on a Full-Time, Permanent basis

We are also offering hybrid /flexible working where travel to the office will be as per business need. Base location for this role will be National Grid House, Warwick.

About Us

Here at National Grid, we connect homes and businesses to power, making sure supply and demand match each other. We make sure the lights are on in schools, operating theatres, and sporting arenas; we’re thousands of people working on behalf of millions of people. And whatever your role, wherever you work with us, you’ll help us hit stretching targets and achieve our far-reaching goal: to secure, clean energy that supports our world far into the future. Here, you will be at the heart of energy.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value, and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

Our function covers a diverse range of categories from Indirect, IT & Digital, Network Operations (Maintenance & Repair), Gas equipment and Services to large scale Construction and Network Equipment, with a clear mission: to enable a clean, fair, and affordable energy future through commercial, responsible and innovative supply chain leadership.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

National Grid is an equal opportunity employer that values a broad diversity of talent, knowledge, experience and expertise. We foster a culture of inclusion that drives employee engagement to deliver superior performance to the communities we serve. National Grid is proud to be an affirmative action employer. We encourage minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to join the National Grid team.