Category Buyer / Senior Category Buyer Leads

About the role

Help build the infrastructure that will power Britain's future.

At National Grid, we're at the heart of the energy transition. As we invest in critical infrastructure and deliver projects that support a cleaner, greener future, our Procurement team plays a vital role in ensuring we secure the right partners, services and solutions to deliver for millions of customers.

We're looking for multiple ambitious and commercially minded Category Buyer and Senior Category Leads to join our Electricity Transmission & Strategic Infrastructure (ETSI) Procurement team, where you'll play a critical role in bringing major infrastructure projects to market and securing the supply chain partnerships that will help deliver our net zero ambitions. 

We are currently launching our new ETSI Procurement Operating model which brings significant opportunity to help shape this and be part of something from the ground up.

We firmly believe that we are uniquely placed at the intersection of ETSI significant capital programme and the external supply market, which is why we are taking deliberate action to operate seamlessly across three core capabilities: 

1.    Pipeline – Shifting Procurement more upstream into early development of the capital plan and our ability to influence and shape 
2.    Category and Supplier Management – Deepening our category expertise and supplier relationships 
3.    Execution – Partnering with the business unit to shape and execute its capital plans 

As a Category / Senior Category Buyer Lead, you'll be responsible for Category management activities within ETSI for a suite of categories/suppliers  or you will be partnering with our delivery colleagues on developing procurement strategies and then delivering strategic sourcing events that drive value, support project delivery and strengthen supplier partnerships.

The roles are hybrid with our base office in Warwick, we'd expect to see you take a balanced approach to office/work locations and home.

What you'll do

• Lead multiple complex construction strategic sourcing events from market engagement through to contract award, values range from anywhere £1m to into the £bns
• Partner with stakeholders to understand business requirements, shape demand and develop commercially robust procurement solutions.
• Lead the development and delivery of category management that aligns with business priorities within your category area & scale this across the portfolio and embed into the delivery of key programmes within the BU
• Analyse supply markets to identify emerging trends, opportunities, risks and innovation that can improve procurement and business unit outcomes.
• Collaborate with relevant teams and counterparts to define the procurement strategy including delivery model, commercial construct and go-to-market approach in order to frontload preparations with the supply chain and internal teams
• Support supplier relationship activities, helping to build strategic partnerships that drive innovation, resilience and long-term value as well as supporting our Group wide Executive Supplier Engagement Programme.
• Contribute to forward planning and forecasting activities, ensuring procurement strategies support future business requirements.
• Share best practice and provide guidance to colleagues, helping to drive procurement excellence across the wider team.  

What you'll need

We're looking for procurement professionals who thrive in complex environments and are passionate about delivering commercial outcomes that make a lasting impact. 

You'll ideally have: 

• Experience  leading the development and delivery of category strategies management ideally within engineering, infrastructure, utilities or construction environments however this is not essential.
• Proven ability to manage procurement activity across large scale projects and programmes
• Ability to develop and implement complex commercial models and a strong understanding of NEC4 Contract forms (A, C, E) would be desirable but not essential as we can teach you this.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence at all levels.
• A high level of commercial acumen and strong negotiation skills, with a proven ability to identify opportunities that deliver measurable value.
• The ability to analyse commercial data, identify risks and opportunities, and provide meaningful insights to support business decisions.
• Strong project management, organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage sourcing activities simultaneously. Including ownership of programme plans, operating in a matrix team and risk to ensure on-time contract award across the portfolio.
• A proactive approach to problem solving and the ability to navigate complex organisations effectively.
• A continuous improvement mindset and a willingness to challenge traditional approaches to deliver better outcomes.
• A genuine passion for sustainability and helping enable an affordable net zero future.
• MCIPS qualified or working towards qualification is preferred.

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What you'll get

For the Category Buyer role - competitive salary between £44,749.00 - £53,073.00 per annum- dependent on capability.

Senior Category Lead - competitive salary between £50,600.00 - £59,635.50 per annum - dependant 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 closes on 9th November 2026 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.