Category Manager

Everyday we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry.To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business.

Reporting to the Category Director (Indirects), the Portfolio Contracts Manager leads a team of Contracts Managers in the development, definition and reinforcement of value enhancing contractual partnering arrangements for National Grid. Deploying appropriate professional teams to support the arrangements and leading on negotiations to maximize National Grid’s commercial advantage and ensuring suppliers perform to the contractual requirements. Supporting the development and implementation of appropriate commercial strategies, playing a central role in eliminating preventable value loss, delivering “in life” contract management savings targeted at 3% of annual contract spend and ensuring contract delivery for key stakeholders.
 

• Leads a team of Contract Managers in the development, definition and reinforcement of value enhancing contractual partnering arrangements. 
• Works with internal and external stakeholders to execute all contracts through conception to completion.  Assessing contract risks and executing mitigation plans ensuring opportunities to drive value are leveraged and that risks are identified and mitigated.
• Provide the commercial lead on supplier contract, providing commercial leadership and expertise across a range of contracts as required to maximise the efficiency and value of contracts.
• Proactively identify, build and maintain strong strategic partnerships with suppliers in order to understand and influence external opinion and maintain a strong reputation for National Grid.
• Lead on implementation of a supplier/contractor performance and monitoring process, reporting on contract performance and escalating where needed. 
• Lead on the commercial management of development contracts, providing expertise and experience in order to determine and agree contractual requirements that will out-turn within budget and deliver against business objectives, ensuring they comply with relevant policies and procedures and drive maximum and mutual benefit to National Grid. 
• Designing and maintaining best in class contract management processes.
• Provide specialist commercial support to other teams / projects as and when required for specific projects with which they are involved. 
• Recruit and lead a highly motivated, innovative and customer focused operational team, developing talent and a performance management culture that drives value through staff engagement and successfully meets and exceeds all relevant targets and strategic objectives.
   

• Breadth and depth of contract management knowledge, including understanding key commercial, regulatory and economic drivers for driving greater value from contractual arrangements
• Ability to analyse KPIs and contract data, to manage contract performance and support commercial decision making and summarise key messages for a senior audience
• Strong track record of building external relationships to drive and deliver commercial value and to improve supplier performance in $multi-million contracts
• Track record of building and enhancing business relationships with key internal senior stakeholders
• Developing and managing assurance processes in a commercial environment, ensuring that risks are appropriately mitigated
• Experience in both decision making in commercial and/or technical roles that have positively impacted on business performance
• Experience in evaluating supplier capabilities to meet the US business requirements
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Comfortable communicating with impact to a wide cross section of the business including senior management
• Directing/Leading discussions/negotiations, steering agendas, challenging the status quo and effectively delivering difficult messages to parties inside and outside National Grid
• Experience of setting up, negotiating and managing complex supplier contractual arrangements
• Bachelor’s degree (B.A or B.S) required; in supply chain, finance or business management preferred. C.P.M or equivalent certifications preferred. MBA, MS preferred.
• Valid driver’s license required with a safe driving history that meets National Grid’s Safe Driver policy.

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.