Head of Procurement Experience

About Us:

National Grid is pioneering ways to decarbonise the energy system; from building interconnectors to allow the UK to share clean energy with our neighbours in Europe, to investing in renewable energy generation in the United States.

As one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world, National Grid is at the centre of a clean, fair and affordable energy future, where tackling climate change and reaching net zero is a key priority. National Grid is pioneering ways to decarbonise the energy system; from building interconnectors to allow the UK to share clean energy with our neighbours in Europe, to investing in renewable energy generation in the United States.

Job Purpose:

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. But it’s so much more than that. National Grid provides the environment for our teams to thrive and make a real impact. As we drive momentum in the energy transition for all, we are committed to ensuring that every employee feels empowered and engaged. So, join us as Head of Procurement Experience, and find your superpower.

Are you ready to shape Procurement into a dynamic, user-centric function? Reporting directly to the VP of Procurement Strategy, you will play a pivotal role in revolutionising our end-to-end source-to-pay process, ensuring that our procurement activities are not only efficient but also engaging and impactful. Driving a model of collaborative process ownership and cross-functional alignment with Enterprise Business Services to drive greater impact across the business and value creation.

Your mission will be to develop and implement innovative processes, cutting-edge technologies, and capabilities that enhance the procurement experience for all users. By focusing on user satisfaction, you will empower business units to achieve their goals and drive broader functional success.

We are on a journey to evolve our capability and become a forward-thinking function that embraces technology and champions a clear digital transformation agenda. You will lead this charge, leveraging procurement-specific expertise to unlock value for the business through the strategic use of digital tools, creating a culture of experimentation and agile partnerships with technology providers, a strong focus on ROI, and the ability to scale successful innovations effectively.

This role can be based out of our Waltham office and you can enjoy our hybrid working from office and home.

Key Accountabilities:

• Design and deliver a seamless, user-centric procurement journey, identifying new and innovative ways of working, enhancing procurement processes, to improve engagement, transparency, and satisfaction for all internal and external stakeholders.
• Rigorously assess existing policies, risk controls, and process steps to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce friction, and enable faster, smarter procurement operations, driving tangible efficiency whilst actively identifying and mitigating associated risks to safeguard organisational integrity.
• Develop and accelerate implementation of the Procurement digital strategy and E2E systems roadmap, optimising existing technology and implementing new system technology that supports our strategic priorities and drives value for the business.
• Lead the deployment of intelligent digital tools and AI-driven insights to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, and unlock new value and enhancing operational efficiency across the source-to-pay lifecycle.
• Determine and execute the Procurement Strategy for delivery of operational processes, through technology and/or EBS capabilities, ensuring optimal service levels and standardized framework for performance measurement and growth.
• Foster a culture of innovation and learning, partnering closely with Enterprise Business Services to co-create solutions that elevate Procurement’s role as a strategic enabler delivering strategic organisational initiatives and continuous improvement projects.
• Support delivery of training and coaching to category teams, ensuring their proficiency in executing operations in accordance with defined processes.

Qualifications:

• Strong relationship building skills and ability to interact credibly and genuinely with senior stakeholders (including up to Board level).
• Proven leadership / people management experience.
• Experience managing (directly/indirectly) functional budgets.
• Experience translating long-term strategies into operating plans (including developing KPIs, resource allocation, etc.)
• Knowledge of Global Procurements Strategic Sourcing Process and associated processes.
• Experience in product, program, or project management in leading cross-functional teams in delivery of major new products or services.
• Experience developing operational processes and/or technologies.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.