JOB PURPOSE:

UK Power Networks is seeking an ambitious and driven tactical procurement professional, reporting to the Indirect Procurement Category Lead (Corporate Services), working across businesses as a procurement interface. You will be a professional member of a CIPS Platinum-accredited procurement team. UK Power Networks is seeking an ambitious and driven tactical procurement professional to act as the primary procurement interface across the business, responsible for managing small tenders, single-source requests, direct awards and delivering fit-for-purpose contracts. The role offers a dynamic and varied portfolio covering a wide range of indirect services, requiring strong stakeholder engagement and a solutions-focused mindset.

As part of the Indirects Procurement Team, you will play a key role in establishing, developing, and managing contracts across UK Power Networks. You will provide a high-quality, timely, and consistent procurement service to both internal stakeholders and external partners. Operating with a strong customer focus, you will demonstrate professionalism, commercial awareness, and the ability to deliver innovative, cost-efficient solutions within the framework of corporate governance and relevant legislation.

Your remit will be broad to meet the diverse needs of the business, and your responsibilities may include:

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver reactive sourcing activities, addressing business requirements promptly and ensuring compliance with procurement policy.
• Analyse active and expiring contracts to identify renewal needs, cost‑saving opportunities, and potential risk areas.
• Manage and respond to procurement requests submitted via the Our Procurement portal, ensuring clarity, efficiency, and stakeholder alignment.
• Support category analysis and ongoing category management, contributing insights that enhance value for money and improve supply arrangements.
• Provide system and vendor management support, ensuring data accuracy, supplier onboarding, and effective operational supplier engagement.
• Execute compliant sourcing routes, including direct awards, three‑bid tenders, and sourcing under established frameworks.

DIMENSIONS:

Innovation Annual Budget:                     between £1-1.5m

Staff:                                                    No direct staff

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES: 

• Actively promote and embody company values, engaging safely and collaboratively across the business and with external partners.
• Serve as a key customer interface for the wider Procurement function, managing incoming enquiries and supporting stakeholders through the procurement process.
• Provide contract and vendor analysis, helping the team proactively manage contract expiries and maintain continuity of supply.
• Support a wide range of procurement activities, including direct awards, three‑bid tenders, and broader sourcing exercises aligned to business requirements and timelines.
• Champion procurement initiatives, challenging existing practices and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, value, and service quality.
• Manage a defined portfolio tail spend categories working closely with relevant Category Specialists, developing sourcing strategies and selecting suppliers and contractual terms appropriate to each requirement.
• Maximise value from contractual arrangements, leveraging effective contract strategies and robust lifecycle management to deliver measurable benefits.
• Manage your area of the Procurement Pipeline, ensuring contracts are sourced and awarded on time and fully aligned with internal processes.
• Ensure compliance with all corporate, governance, and legislative policies, promoting best practice across the business.
• Collaborate with colleagues and internal stakeholders, resolving queries, sharing insights, and developing strong working relationships with suppliers and contractors.
• Oversee supplier management activities for category‑relevant vendors, including segmentation and performance development.
• Maintain accurate administration for all in‑category activities, ensuring systems and data remain current and reliable.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Strong commercial acumen.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise effectively.
• Ability to work independently, demonstrating continuous improvement and strong teamwork behaviours.
• Proficient PC skills with the ability to learn and operate multiple systems; fast and accurate data entry.
• Ability to perform under pressure within a focused, fast‑paced team environment.
• Strong influencing skills, with the ability to challenge stakeholders constructively and translate business needs into clear procurement actions.
• Basic understanding of strategic sourcing activities, including cost/price analysis, market analysis, category strategy, market testing, and innovation.
• Competence in supplier relationship management.
• Strong project and time‑management capabilities.

 DESIRABLE

• Degree‑level education in procurement, engineering, business studies, or related discipline.
• Working knowledge of industry‑standard contracts (e.g., NEC3).
• Previous procurement or purchasing experience.
• Experience within a regulated environment.
• Either have or be working towards CIPS/MCIPS, plus any other relevant professional certifications nice to have.
• Familiarity with SAP Ariba/Achilles and Find a Tender Services Platform.

Please Note: Internal candidates are eligible to apply for internal positions once they have successfully completed any contractual probationary period.

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 are responsible for ensuring they fully 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 particularly where there are legal requirements, employees are responsible for understanding 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.