Category Lead

**Are you a Procurement professional?**

**Do you want to join our expanding Global Procurement team and play a key role in the transition to net zero?**

**We have an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Category Lead on a Full Time, Permanent Basis**

**Join us as we transform our energy industry**

**Life at National Grid - Procurement**:
National Grid will be investing over £40bn across our UK and US businesses and our procurement teams will play a significant role in supporting the investment, providing transformational solutions to achieve net zero. And that’s why we’re expanding our team globally with 90 additional roles.

We’re currently a team of over 300 talented professionals that cover a diverse range of categories from Indirect, IT & Digital, Network Operations (Maintenance & Repair) to 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.

We embrace flexibility, inclusivity and empower our team to shape their own success with our dynamic hybrid working environment and realise that to be successful we must invest in our people and capabilities.

**What You'll Do**:
Working as part of one of our category teams and reporting into the Category Manager, you will be empowered to bring to life our category strategies through the delivery of tenders and initiatives that will ensure that your stakeholders across the UK and US have the goods and services they need to accelerate the £40bn of investment to upgrade our networks to meet future energy needs in a decarbonised world.
- Category strategy development - Contribute to the formulation of the allocated category strategy, managing spend, standardising processes and identifying value levers for maximum value
- Value-driven Strategic Sourcing - Deliver value by effectively managing tender events across the category in a transparent and efficient way whilst ensuring the best possible solutions for National Grid
- Supplier management - Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and collaborate to help drive improvements across cost, delivery, and quality and identify potential new supply markets
- Contract Negotiation - Scope and develop regional contractual agreements ensuring alignment with customer stakeholder requirements and expectations.

**What We're Looking For**:
We’re looking for people who can demonstrate creativity and commercial acumen whilst identifying opportunities to drive value and deliver our net zero ambition and have a passion to grow yourself and our business. Someone who.
- Has experience in providing strategic procurement expertise and supporting the development and execution of category strategies
- Experience of developing and executing effective sourcing strategies and management of tendering events.
- Has demonstrable experience as a Category Lead or Category Buyer or in a similar procurement role
- Can provide effective stakeholder engagement and management for both internal and external stakeholders
- Can collate and organise data, analyse commercial issues and bring insight to the detail of costs and contracts.
- Can scope, deliver and execute robust fit for purpose contractual agreements.
- Achievement of a CIPS qualification or working towards is advantageous, but not essential

**What You'll Get**:
A competitive salary offering up to £49,500 (reviewed annually) dependent on capability and experience
- Annual performance incentive
- Access to private medical insurance for you and your family
- A generous pension scheme - we double match your contribution up to 12%.
- 26 days’ annual leave 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)
- Ongoing career development and support - Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions and time off for study leave - so long as it’s relevant to your role
- Access to a range of further benefits covering wellbeing, family care, charity involvement

**Location & Flexible Working**:
The role is offering Hybrid working. There will be expectation with travel to meet with stakeholders on a need’s basis.

**Further Information**:

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

**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 t