Category Buyer

About The Role

Are you ready to make a significant impact in procurement? Join our dynamic team as a Category Buyer for Marketing, where you will drive strategic procurement operations within your business area!

Reporting to the Category Manager – Energy Efficiency, Customer Programmes and Marketing, you will collaborate with them and Senior Category Buyers to implement innovative Marketing and Public Relations strategies. Your role will involve planning and executing strategic sourcing events, managing contracts, and supporting the procurement lifecycle.

Engage with stakeholders across the business to identify needs and understand supply chains, enabling us to provide the best solutions for National Grid. If you are passionate about procurement, ideally with some experience in marketing, and are eager to build strong relationships while driving value, we want to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future of energy solutions!

In this exciting role, you will engage with stakeholders across the business, both within procurement and externally, to identify their needs and ensure a deep understanding of the supply chains.

Your insights will enable us to provide the best solutions for National Grid, enhancing our reputation and effectiveness in the market.

National Grid is leading the charge towards a Net Zero future in the UK and North East of the USA. We recognize that decarbonizing our electric and gas systems will require resolving many questions and seeking new partnerships, technologies, and transformative investments.  Over the next 5 years, we will be investing over £60bn across our UK and US businesses – nearly double the investment over the past 5 years.  This is an exciting time for our industry that is creating significant opportunities for National Grid; this is not just a moment in time; it's a game-changing era that will shape National Grid's success for decades to come.

Given this backdrop, our supply chains are facing an unprecedented set of challenges and are at the forefront of our plans, placing National Grid Procurement at the centre of our Net Zero goals. We have set out an ambitious transformation plan, focused on becoming a client of choice for our supply partners whilst ensuring outstanding outcomes for our Business Units (BUs).  Our strategy revolves around significant changes in three core areas:

• Partnering: We are forging closer ties with our supply chain, aligning ourselves more closely with each NG Group Business Unit (BU).
• Scale: We are leveraging the immense scale of our group to unlock even greater potential. By harnessing our collective strength, we can achieve remarkable things.
• Operational Transformation: We are revolutionizing the way we work as a team. Embracing new approaches and technologies, we are streamlining processes and making the day-to-day job simpler and more efficient.

What You'll Do

• Drive Strategic Sourcing: Take the lead in delivering multiple strategic sourcing events within your portfolio, collaborating with stakeholders to understand and challenge demand. Your efforts will ensure that National Grid receives the best possible solutions, making a tangible impact on our operations.
• Shape Sourcing Strategies: Play a key role in shaping the sourcing strategy for your allocated category. You will execute standardised strategic sourcing processes from market engagement to award, ensuring that goods and services are procured in a best-in-class manner that drives exceptional value.
• Enhance Contract Management: Work closely with Contract Managers to ensure the successful delivery of contracted activities. You will identify continuous improvement opportunities through proactive engagement with suppliers and stakeholders, maximising value for money.
• Support Category Development: Assist in the overall development and delivery of the assigned category strategy, sharing best practices and insights across other category teams to foster a culture of collaboration and excellence.
• Work Independently: Showcase your ability to work semi-autonomously as a self-starter, primarily collaborating with a US-based team. Your initiative and drive will be key to your success in this role.
• Market Research: Dive into profiling category characteristics and researching supply markets, assessing trends, opportunities, and risks. Your insights will provide valuable information to our Global teams and Market and Supplier Development teams.
• Manage Tender Events: Deliver significant value by effectively managing tender events for key products and services required by the business, ensuring a smooth and efficient procurement process.
• Forward Planning: Contribute to effective forward planning by identifying future requirements and implementing robust forecasting strategies that maximise the value of procured goods and services.
• Contract Development: Scope and develop regional contractual agreements that meet the needs and expectations of customer stakeholders, ensuring alignment with our strategic objectives.

What You'll Bring

• Strategic Sourcing and Category Management Expertise: Bring your experience in strategic sourcing and category management to the forefront, where you will play a key role in driving value and efficiency for National Grid.
• Project Management Acumen: Showcase your understanding of project management principles, with a proven ability to juggle multiple projects and consistently deliver outstanding results that make a real impact.
• Negotiation Mastery: Leverage your strong negotiation skills to prepare for and lead discussions that achieve high-value outcomes, ensuring the best possible agreements for the organization.
• Commercial Assessment Skills: Utilize your ability to build and manage complex commercial assessment models, ensuring value delivery across a balanced scorecard and supporting informed decision-making.
• Contract Development Experience: Bring your expertise in contract development to the table, where you will make recommendations, amend existing contracts, and draft new agreements that align with our strategic objectives.
• Marketing Knowledge: Whilst not essential, a background in marketing / marketing procurement would be beneficial in this role.

What You'll Get

A competitive salary between £41,048 -  £48,683.50– dependent on capability

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

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 NG House, Warwick

This role closes on Tuesday 11th February 2025 however we strongly encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible.

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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.