Category Buyer

Every day 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.

National Grid is hiring a Buyer, Category Management. The role can sit in our Waltham or Boston, MA, Brooklyn, NY or Syracuse, NY office.

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

Reporting to the Category Manager - Static Wound Equipment, you will collaborate with them and Senior Category Buyers within the New England, New York and UK Business Units to implement innovative Equipment purchasing 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 either buying, purchasing, or with a commercial or contract management background, 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 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.

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 and UK-based teams. 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 your team and other teams.

Manage Tender Events: Deliver significant value by effectively managing tender events for key equipment 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.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Strategic sourcing / Category Management / Buyer or Senior Contract Management experience.
• Project management acumen, with a proven ability to juggle multiple projects and consistently deliverresults.
• Leverage your strong negotiation skills tolead discussions that achieve high-value outcomes, ensuring the best possible agreements for the organization.
• Commercial assessment skills
• Contract development experience