Wastewater Approvals Technical Advisor in Lisburn

Wastewater Approvals Technical Advisor Job ref: 6803.10.26 | Job type: Permanent Location: Westland House, Belfast or Seagoe, | Salary: £32,166 to £39,314 per annum Quantity of Posts Available: 1 Closing date: Monday 26 Oct 2026 10:00 Job summary Role Description This is an excellent opportunity for someone wishing to join an award winning Commercial team responsible for procuring contracts with an annual spend in excess of £200m. NI Water provides water and wastewater services for all of Northern Ireland. As a member of the Commercial Team you can make a real difference to your community by supporting these vital services. The Category Manager will be a key member of a highly effective team. You will possess leadership, influence, supplier relationship management skills and sourcing expertise to support your categories. You'll take ownership of your category plans and sourcing strategies to directly support top management decisions and deliver value from external contract spend. If you have an eye for detail, enjoy working with people and want to see the difference you can make at work, apply now to take your next step to becoming a future Procurement leader. The Commercial Team incorporates Procurement Teams, Contract Management Team and Commercial Management Office. Role Responsibilities Manage a portfolio of contracts to provide continuous service delivery to the business. Manage the tendering of contracts to deliver value for money. This will include developing tender documents, supervising evaluation panels, evaluating pricing, preparing contract award documentation and supporting contracts post-award; Incorporate Northern Ireland Public Procurement Policy into tender exercises, this includes social value, human rights and supply chain resilience. Develop and deliver sourcing strategies with a sound grasp of cost structures, trends and cost drivers. Negotiate the best overall commercial arrangements with suppliers selected through robust tender processes in order to contribute to the overall performance, savings and profitability of the business. Mitigate risks and ensure that robust contingencies are in place for business critical goods and services and support the business when service or supply issues occur. Provide procurement leadership at category councils to agree and then deliver clear and compelling category plans which increase value or reduce costs to underpin the wider business plan. Subject matter expert for your category, understanding the external supply market for your categories to provide expert advice to the business. Combine your understanding of the business needs and your categories to deliver commercial and supply chain improvements. Support business change by challenging existing sourcing decisions; challenging existing ways of working; challenging specifications; challenging suppliers to improve their delivery. Develop productive working relationships with key internal stakeholders to build confidence in procurement and commercial strategies and secure buy-in, commitment and support. Build relationships with suppliers to ensure successful and compliant performance of contracts. Comply with the Procurement Act 2023, the Procurement Regulations 2024 and NI Waters policies. Budget and People Management Responsibilities The successful applicant will have line management responsibilities for a buyer. They will also act as procurement lead on category councils, working with colleagues from across NI Water to deliver the category plans, tender programme and sourcing strategies. The role has sole authority to approve purchase orders up to a value of £150,000. **Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of duties and the post holder will be required to carry out other duties as required** Entry Requirements Candidates MUST be able to demonstrate that they meet the following requirements in their application and, where necessary, at interview: ESSENTIAL CRITERIA A 3rd level qualification (HNC, HND or Degree) AND a minimum of 3 years experience in a procurement role (either public or private sector). This should include experience of the preparation and evaluation of tender/bid documents. OR A minimum of 5 years experience in a procurement role (either public or private sector). This should include experience of the preparation and evaluation of tender/bid documents. OR A minimum of 5 years experience working in a commercial environment. This should include experience in a minimum of 2 of the below: Tendering and bid submissions; Evaluating submitted bids Technical specification development; or Project management Membership of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) (provide your CIPS membership number) OR be willing to study to obtain CIPS professional qualification with full support of NI Water. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. MS Excel experience should include the ability to analyse and manipulate data for presentation in a professional manner. Experience in supplier relationship management Experience of delivering efficiencies in contract spend. DESIRABLE CRITERIA In the event of a large number of applications, in the first instance, candidates may be short-listed on the following desirable criteria: Experience of managing complex procurements in a regulated environment. In the second instance, candidates may be short-listed on the following, additional desirable criteria: 2 years experience of managing a tendering portfolio of more than 10 contracts ensuring these are retendered to provide continuous service delivery and best value for money. In the third instance, candidates may be short-listed on the following, additional desirable criteria: Experience of using an electronic tendering system. How to Apply Apply by application through Jobs page on Source (Internal) or the NI Water Careers Page TPBN1_NI