Category Lead

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; were thousands of people working on behalf of millions of people. And whatever your role, wherever you work with us, youll 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 the heart of energy.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value, and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organization, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

Our function covers a diverse range of categories from Indirect, IT & Digital, Network Operations (Maintenance & Repair), Gas equipment and Services to large scale 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.

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for two Category Leads to join our team on a Full Time, Permanent basis!

Reporting into a Category Manager, the Category Lead is responsible for leading strategic procurement operations within the New England and New York Business Unit. The role will partner the Category Manager in delivery of Category strategies.

National Grid is leading the charge towards a Net Zero future in the UK and NE of 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 even 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.

What You’ll Do

This role will involve engaging and building strong and established working relationships with stakeholders to identify business needs and then ensuring we understand the supply chains so we can offer the best solutions for National Grid.

• Support the Senior Business Partners to engage with the BU, and where appropriate directly support the strategic relationship with them to ensure their procurement and supply chain needs are delivered in line with business requirements.

• Scope and develops regional contractual agreements that meet the customer stakeholder requirements and expectations.

• Deliver multiple strategic sourcing events within portfolio, working with stakeholders to understand and challenge demand and ensure the best possible solutions for National Grid.

• Input into the development and execution of sourcing strategy for allocated category and execute standardized strategic sourcing processes from market engagement through to award, ensuring goods / services are procured in a best-in-class manner that drives value.

• Work with Contract Managers to ensure the successful delivery of contracted activities, identifying continuous improvement opportunities through engagement with suppliers and stakeholders, and maximizing value for money from contracts awarded.

• Support the overall development and delivery of assigned category strategy and share best practice across other category teams (as appropriate).

• Role model excellence in procurement standards, taking a proactive role in mentoring / providing guidance to Buyers and Associate Buyers to ensure best-in-class methodologies are adopted and utilized across National Grid Procurement.

• Profile category characteristics and research supply markets, suppliers and assess trends, opportunities and risks feeding insights into the Global teams and Market and Supplier Development teams (as appropriate).

• Delivering value by effectively managing tender events for key products required by the business.

• Contribute to an effective forward planning process by identifying future requirements of supported areas and ensure robust forecasting is put in place that maximizes value of goods / services procured

Requirements

• Experience of contract development, including the ability to make recommendations and amendments to existing contracts as well as drafting new ones.

• Significant experience of strategic sourcing and category management

• An understanding of project management principles and ideally evidence of managing multiple projects and consistently delivering outstanding results.

• Ability to prepare for and to lead negotiations.

• Ability to build and manage complex commercial assessment models

Your Rewards

Rewarding work and a collaborative, team-oriented culture is just the beginning. Review our digital benefit guide at ngbenefitslivebrighter.com for full details and descriptions.

Additional Information

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

We are also offering hybrid / flexible working where travel to the office will be as per business need.

Waltham: $115,000- $135,000 a year

This role closes on 9/2/24. However, we strongly encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible, as applications will be actively reviewed and processed prior to the deadline.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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.