Senior Category Buyer

At National Grid, our commitment to a cleaner, greener energy future is powered by the dedication and ingenuity of our people. Join our team as a Senior Category Buyer and be a part of something bigger-where your unique skills and passions can make a real difference. Together, we are superpowered.

As a Senior Category Buyer, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering high impact procurement strategies for major capital projects across our business. This is an opportunity to lead complex, business critical work while influencing decisions at the highest level.

Reporting directly to our Procurement Manager, you’ll collaborate with a wide network of stakeholders-across the organisation, within the procurement function, and throughout our supply chain and joint venture partners. Your ability to build strong, trusted relationships will be key to driving successful outcomes.

You’ll take the lead in understanding business priorities, translating them into a robust and aligned procurement strategy, and designing clear go-to-market plans for a variety of work packages. You’ll also shape commercial and contract models that deliver real value and are fully aligned to the business outcomes we’re aiming to achieve.

This is an exciting role for someone who wants to make a visible impact, influence strategic direction, and help define the future of procurement within a fast moving environment.

This role is based out of our Warwick office, with hybrid working. We’re happy to discuss any additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you!

What You’ll Do

• Deliver a multibillion-pound HVDC works package in line with regulated procurement requirements.
• Drive collaboration with stakeholders across the JV to define the procurement strategy, including delivery model, commercial construct, and go-to-market approach, ensuring the supply chain and internal teams are fully prepared.
• Translate business requirements into clear, actionable supply chain requirements by collaborating closely with stakeholders to develop and maintain a forward-looking procurement pipeline.
• Lead the regulated end-to-end procurement process, including ownership of the procurement programme, matrix-team coordination, critical-path management, and risk mitigation to ensure on‑time contract award.
• Engage with cross-functional teams to understand market capacity, supplier capability, and other insights, enabling robust supply chain planning for capital programmes.
• Support the identification, assessment, and mitigation of key procurement‑related risks (L2/L3), creating the right environment for effective risk management across relevant stakeholders.
• Consolidate and report procurement performance across teams to support Business Unit (BU) reporting and governance.
• Develop and present project updates and governance packs to senior stakeholders, ensuring clear communication of progress, risks, and key recommendations.

What You’ll Have

• Strategy experience in construction capital procurement on large‑scale infrastructure or construction programmes.
• Ability to operate within cross‑functional teams and experience of programme management.
• Experience of managing capital procurement programmes within a supply chain / commercial context.
• Demonstrable ability to forge strong relationships with key stakeholders and supply chain.
• Experience of commercial / contract development, particularly construction contracts and building commercial strategies (FIDIC / NEC4 desirable).
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to support, guide, and develop junior team members.
• An understanding of regulatory environment and regulated procurement is desirable.
• Proficient in procurement and sourcing systems, including Ariba and Coupa.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to make sound business decisions.
• Excellent document management and organisational skills.
• CIPS qualification (or progression towards CIPS) is preferred, though not essential.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.

What You’ll Get

A competitive salary of £50,000 – £58,000 dependent 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 several 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.

About Us

National Grid is pioneering ways to decarbonise the energy system; from building interconnectors to allow the UK to share clean energy with our neighbours in Europe, to investing in renewable energy generation in the United States.

As one of the largest investor‑owned energy companies in the world, National Grid is at the centre of a clean, fair and affordable energy future, where tackling climate change and reaching net zero is a key priority. National Grid is pioneering ways to decarbonise the energy system; from building interconnectors to allow the UK to share clean energy with our neighbours in Europe, to investing in renewable energy generation in the United States.

More Information

This role closes on 4 March 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.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points‑based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points‑based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.