Senior Contract Specialist

About The Role

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Join National Grid as a Senior Contract Specialist and play a vital role in shaping our contractual partnerships! In this exciting position, you will develop and define robust contractual arrangements while leading negotiations to maximise our commercial advantage. You will deploy professional teams to support these arrangements, ensuring that suppliers meet their contractual obligations.

As a key player in our organisation, you will support the development and implementation of effective commercial strategies, helping to eliminate preventable value loss and ensuring successful contract delivery. If you are passionate about driving results and making a significant impact in a dynamic environment, we want to hear from you!

National Grid is leading the charge towards a Net Zero future in the UK and NE of 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

As a Senior Contract Specialist at National Grid, you will play a crucial role in shaping our procurement strategy and driving success across various projects. Your expertise will be instrumental in managing contracts and building strong relationships that enhance our reputation in the industry. Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Contract Management: Oversee contracts from conception to completion, collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless execution.
• Risk Assessment: Identify contract risks and implement effective mitigation plans while seizing opportunities to drive value for the organization.
• Commercial Leadership: Provide strategic commercial leadership across a diverse range of contracts, maximising efficiency and value at every stage.
• Strategic Partnerships: Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and contractors, enhancing National Grid's reputation and fostering collaboration.
• Market Engagement: Partner with suppliers to encourage new market entrants, ensuring access to high-quality equipment at competitive prices.
• Performance Monitoring: Lead the implementation of a Supplier/Contractor Performance and Monitoring process, reporting on contract performance and proactively addressing any issues.
• Development Contracts: Manage development contracts to ensure they align with budgetary and business objectives while adhering to relevant policies.
• Best Practices: Design and maintain best-in-class contract management processes that set the standard for excellence.
• Specialist Support: Provide specialist commercial support to various teams and projects as needed, contributing to overall success.
• Team Leadership: Recruit and lead a motivated, innovative, and customer-focused operational team, fostering a culture of performance management and engagement.

What You'll Bring

To be successful in this role, you will need experience in the following areas:

• Management of new MPAN connections and disconnections.
• Bill validation and oversight of bill validation agencies.
• Knowledge of electricity, water, and gas sectors.
• Ability to drive value through operational efficiency across the portfolio estate by engaging stakeholders and managing asset records.
• Supplier relationship management, including contract reviews and quarterly business meetings.
• Contribution to category strategies in collaboration with the category procurement team.
• Management of supplier escalations in response to reported operational incidents.
• A high level of industry knowledge in the utility and waste categories.
• Familiarity with extended categories, including Facilities Management, Physical Security Services, Pest Control, Weather, and Building Fabric Services.
• Experience in the waste category, encompassing commercial waste, environmental and spill incidents, and maintenance services.
• Willingness to travel to National Grid sites as required.
• Ability to work across all National Grid business units.

If you are passionate about driving procurement excellence and making a significant impact within a leading energy company, we invite you to apply for the Senior Contract Specialist position at National Grid! Join us in our mission to deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions

What You'll Get

A competitive salary between £46,415 – £58,760 – 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 National Grid House, Warwick
• It is anticipated that some international business travel may be required as part of this role

This role closes on 3rd February 2025 however we strongly encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible

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.