Procurement Policy & Governance Lead - NESO in Wokingham

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

2026 continues to be an exciting year for NESO, particularly within our Procurement Centre of Excellence team, as we continue to strengthen our procurement framework, governance and ways of working. As Procurement Policy and Governance Lead, you will play a key role in shaping, embedding and continuously improving procurement policies, procedures and best practice across the organisation, helping to ensure our approach is compliant, consistent and fit for a changing environment.

We are looking for someone with strong experience in procurement, governance and compliance, ideally gained within a regulated public sector or utilities environment. You will bring a strong understanding of the Procurement Act 2023 and wider regulatory requirements, alongside the ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders to drive high standards, support good decision‑making and promote continuous improvement across procurement at NESO.

This role can be based in Warwick or Wokingham, and we continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to part time, as well as flexible working arrangements.

• Developing and maintaining procurement policies, procedures, and guidelines, ensuring compliance with utilities/public sector regulations and industry best practices.
• Leading development and implementation of the governance frameworks and central procurement templates, ensuring transparency, accountability, and ethical practices in procurement activities.
• Monitoring and evaluating procurement processes, workflows and system design and compliance, identifying opportunities for improvement and recommending best practice to enhance efficiency and cost savings.
• Partnering with the Systems team to continuously improve the Ivalua platform, ensuring it remains an intuitive, self‑service solution that complies with government regulations and NESO policies.
• Supporting the development and implementation of AI‑enabled capabilities within the Ivalua e‑tool, to improve user experience, data quality, compliance controls and process efficiency.
• Serving as a subject‑matter expert on regulated procurement policy and governance, providing strategic advice, guidance and support to internal stakeholders to enable informed decision‑making and consistent application of procurement processes across the organisation.
• Collaborating with legal, finance, and compliance teams, ensuring procurement practices and regulatory requirements are met.
• Accountable for the regular coordination of the Procurement Assurance Forum, ensuring cases are on the agenda, pre‑read circulated along with the capture of minutes and distribution, and all documents are stored to NESO standards.
• Developing and delivering training programmes, promoting understanding of procurement policies and governance across the organisation, with a key focus on PA23 and utilities regulation awareness (including process and notices).
• Conducting regular audits and assessments, ensuring compliance with procurement standards, regulations, and preparing reports for senior management.
• Analyzing market trends and industry developments, ensuring the organisation’s procurements remain competitive and aligned with best practices.
• Owning the development, authorship and distribution of the monthly Procurement team newsletter, helping to drive engagement, share key updates and reinforce consistent procurement practices across the organisation.

• Significant experience in procurement, with a strong background in procurement policy, governance, compliance or assurance.
• Strong understanding of regulated procurement environments, ideally within the public sector or utilities, with knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023 and wider governance requirements.
• Transforming Public Procurement, Government training is an essential requirement for this role.
• Ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements and translate them into clear, practical policies, processes, guidance and templates.
• Confident in building relationships and working collaboratively with stakeholders across procurement, legal, finance, compliance and systems teams.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide clear advice, deliver training and influence good procurement practice across the organisation.
• Highly organised and detail‑oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic and evolving environment.
• Proactive, solutions‑focused, and committed to continuous improvement, with experience of strengthening governance, improving processes and enhancing user experience.
• Experience supporting e‑procurement systems or digital process improvement would be advantageous.

• A competitive salary of £50,000 – £60,000 depending on experience and capability.
• Bonus based on company performance.
• 26 days annual leave as standard.
• Competitive contributory pension scheme with company matching up to 12%.
• Annual enrollment in the NESO Savings Plan, with a 50% matching contribution when you save between £20 and £500 a month from take‑home pay.
• Flexible benefits programme providing flexibility around health, lifestyle and protection benefits.
• Flexible bank holidays and holiday trading.
• Additional birthday day off.
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme, retail and gym discounts.
• Private medical insurance, critical illness insurance and personal accident insurance.

This role closes at 23:59 on the day before the date shown above. We encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible.