Category Specialist

81551 - Category Specialist

This Category Specialist will report to the Category Manager and will work within Capital Programme (Directs Procurement) based in our London (Elephant & Castle) office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary dependent on your capability and a bonus of 7.5%. This role can also offer blended working after probationary period (6 months) - 3 days in the office and 2 remote

Close Date: 09/11/2025

We also provide the following additional benefits

• 25 Days Annual Leave plus bank holidays.
• Reservist Leave – Additional 18 days full pay and 22 unpaid
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit Scheme, Season Ticket Loan
• Tax efficient benefits: Cycle to Work, Home & Tech, and Green Car Leasing Schemes
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers' products
• Discounted gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme

Job Purpose:

UK Power Networks are looking for a procurement professional for a role within the Directs Procurement teams. You will support the Procurement category leads and join a CIPS Platinum accredited procurement team with an important role to play in delivering a world class procurement service.

You will deliver a high quality, and value adding service built upon relationships with partners, suppliers and contractors alike.

You will use your professional experience alongside industry best practice to guide positive outcomes, supporting the business to achieve its vision to be an employer of choice, respected and trusted corporate citizen, sustainably cost-efficient and enabling the net zero transition for all.

Who are UK Power Networks are looking for:

• Dynamic approach to procurement to challenge and influence senior partners
• Operate independently whilst uploading corporate and regulatory governance requirements and legislation
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and performance improvement within a managed category

Engagement skills are necessary . We ask that you can present and to communicate with all partners and have a continuous improvement mindset.

Staff: No direct staff but may have responsibility for managing Commercial Graduates as and when placed in the Procurement Function

Principal Accountabilities:

• To aim to safely encourage throughout our business and beyond in a manner that embraces our values and aspirations.
• Help deliver the category management strategy, with care for overall UK Power Networks corporate procurement and corporate strategy
• Responsible for management of specific category portfolio, including developing the category sourcing strategy, the selection of suppliers and contractual terms best suited to the category
• Maximise the value, measured through a range of indicators, from UK Power Networks contractual arrangements utilising the development of contract strategies, contract development and lifecycle management, updating and informing on contract information
• Use your knowledge base, service a specific portfolio of direct works, services and materials as part of a team leading to the best available solution with embedded performance mechanisms tailored to deliver to the business promptly
• Manage own element of Procurement event Pipeline and procure contracts on time following UK Power Networks process
• Perform activities that evaluate and use relationships with category suppliers
• Manage compliance to all business, governance and legislative policies and initiatives
• Liaise with, and providing support to, other areas of the business and resolving queries. Develop relationships with suppliers and contractors alike and create strategic partnerships
• Responsible for supplier management for category suppliers including their development and segmentation
• Responsible for accurate administration for in-category activities and ensures that all related data is up to date
• Support the identification, validation and integration of potential alternative suppliers
• Identifies, implements, and secures saving opportunities
• Maximise the effectiveness of category management by promoting the optimisation of the UK Power Networks vendor database based on value and risk mitigation
• Manage innovation and knowledge management for the category portfolio

Qualifications:

• Achieve or working towards CIPS qualification or equivalent
• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Experience leading the cradle-to-grave procurement lifecycle for multi-million pound sourcing projects
• Confidence when engaging with senior partners
• Working knowledge of industry standard contracts
• Self organisational capabilities
• Demonstrate understanding of continuous improvement and team working
• High level of IT literacy - Use a variety of systems
• Influence and challenge team members and co-workers, and the ability to decant measurable needs
• Working knowledge of SAP and UVDB an advantage
• Strategic sourcing execution, i.e. cost, price and financial analysis, internal and external market analysis, category strategy, market testing and innovation.
• Supplier relationship management
• Project and time management skills

Health & Safety Responsibilities:

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

If in doubt ask!

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

If you have any queries in connection to this vacancy or your application, please contact us at careers@ukpowernetworks.co.uk quoting the vacancy reference number and a member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.