Materials Controller (24-Month FTC) in Ashington

Do you want to help power your career and be part of an evolving energy industry? An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Materials Controller to join our Commercial team. Northern Powergrid is responsible for powering everyday life for 8 million customers across 3.9 million homes and businesses in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire. As the energy industry continues to transform through investment, innovation and decarbonisation, reliable access to materials, equipment and supplier support is critical to keeping our network operating safely and effectively.

As a Materials Controller, you will play an important part in ensuring our operational and engineering teams have the right materials, in the right place, at the right time. You will support material availability, supplier coordination, stock accuracy and demand planning across a range of operational requirements. This is a varied and important role, working closely with engineering teams, suppliers, procurement, standards and wider business stakeholders to help maintain service delivery, support planned work and respond to changing operational priorities.

Along with a competitive salary between £30,424 - £33,323 we also offer great benefits such as:

• 25 days holiday (increasing with tenure) plus bank holidays
• Agile & Flexible Working
• Enrolment in a Company Car Cash Scheme

We’re looking for someone who is organised, analytical and confident working with people, systems and data. If you have experience in materials control, logistics, inventory management, procurement support or a similar operational environment, apply now and we’ll be in touch.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be accountable for:

• Coordinating material and equipment requests from engineering and operational teams, ensuring requirements are clearly understood, prioritised and progressed.
• Supporting the availability of critical materials required for planned work, operational delivery and emerging business needs.
• Creating, progressing and managing orders in Oracle, ensuring information is accurate and aligned to business requirements.
• Arranging deliveries to Northern Powergrid locations and direct-to-site locations, working with suppliers and internal teams to meet required dates.
• Liaising with suppliers to confirm order progress, delivery dates, availability, lead times and issue resolution.
• Supporting demand profiling by analysing usage patterns, supplier lead times and operational requirements.
• Maintaining accurate materials and inventory data, including data input, reporting and query management.
• Supporting effective stock management, including stock checks, stocktaking activity and investigation of discrepancies.
• Managing Northern Powergrid stock items in line with business processes and operational requirements.
• Working with procurement and standards colleagues to support compliant ordering and appropriate material selection.
• Resolving business, supplier and invoice queries in a timely and professional manner.
• Supporting supplier coordination and escalating delivery, performance or contract issues where required.
• Attending business interface meetings both on-site and off-site at various Northern Powergrid locations.
• Using data analysis to help identify material trends, demand profiles, supply risks and opportunities for improvement.

Qualifications and Attributes

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Educated to Degree standard or able to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience in materials control, stores, logistics, inventory, procurement support or a similar operational environment.
• Confident user of Microsoft 365 products, particularly Excel, Outlook and Teams.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise work effectively.
• Good communication skills, with confidence dealing with internal customers and external suppliers.
• Understanding of stock management, supplier lead times, demand planning or procurement processes.
• Full UK driving licence, due to the requirement to attend Northern Powergrid and supplier locations as needed.
• 2 A Levels or equivalent.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Experience using Oracle or a similar enterprise resource planning system.
• Experience using Oracle Inventory and/or Procurement modules.
• Previous experience in utilities, engineering, construction, manufacturing, logistics or infrastructure.
• Working towards, or willing to work towards, a relevant professional qualification.

Applicants are considered on the basis of their suitability for the post irrespective of sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender re‑assignment, race, age or disability, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.