Buyer in Washington

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Buyer to join our Opex team in Procurement. In this role, you will support the category management team across all key aspects of the strategic sourcing process. You will work on a range of procurement activities within pre-agreed spend categories, building strong relationships, influencing stakeholders, and helping drive value across the business. Using both tactical and strategic approaches to sourcing and negotiation, you’ll bring fresh ideas, challenge the status quo, and explore innovative solutions to help us think differently and unlock new opportunities from the marketplace. Our team operates in a hybrid working model, blending remote work with time spent at any NWL office as required. While much of your role can be done from home, we’re looking for candidates who are within a reasonable distance to travel when needed.

As a team we are driven and focussed on the value and saving potential that the procurement process brings to our sourcing events. We’re looking for the successful candidate to have a proven level of strategic sourcing experience, with a track record of delivering savings and unlocking value add from our supply chain. As a shrewd negotiator, we’re looking for you to have proven negotiation skills, bring commerciality and problem-solving techniques, whilst being passionate about delivering an excellent service to all service users. You will build key relationships across our team and the wider business, utilising excellent interpersonal skills (including stakeholder management) blended with verbal and written communication skills that are a must for the successful candidate.

Although experience of developing sourcing and category strategies within a regulated environment (such as public/utility sector) would be advantageous we are keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate and apply their own individual experience into our business, which is heavily regulated and follows an extensive range of policies and procedures. From a vocational perspective, ideally, we are looking for someone with procurement related qualifications (MCIPS/Degree for example) or equivalent experience working within a procurement setting. If you’re passionate about procurement, eager to develop, and ready to take on a new challenge, this is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a supportive and growing team!

Here at Northumbrian Water/Essex & Suffolk Water, we embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and encourage all colleagues to bring their most authentic self to work. Our colleague network groups include our Rainbow Support Network (LGBTQIA+), REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), WiSTEM (Women in STEM) and Thisability (disability and neurodiversity) networks. They provide a safe space for colleagues from diverse backgrounds, welcoming all colleagues regardless of their personal characteristics to participate in valuable conversation that improves our organisational awareness, understanding and inclusivity. We encourage and welcome all applications, as we strive to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to having diverse communities represented within all our teams, structures, and organisation.

Please note this role will require a DBS to be completed prior to employment. NWG are an inclusive employer who support the rehabilitation of offenders, we will not, however consider candidates who have certain unspent convictions to ensure our commitment to fostering a safe and secure working environment for all colleagues, suppliers, customers and third parties.

Here at NWG we strive to make Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) a Great Place to Work, for all. We embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity and encourage you to bring your full self to work. As an equal opportunity employer we’re committed to having a diverse community represented across our business. We’re aware that not everyone will have every skill listed in the job description, however if you have some of the skills listed, we’d encourage you to apply.

Our purpose at NWG is caring for the essential needs of our communities and environment, now and for generations to come. We do this by providing reliable and affordable water and wastewater services for our customers. We make a positive difference by operating efficiently and investing prudently, to maintain a sustainable and resilient business. Our vision is to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services.

To support us in achieving our vision, we have five core values which are the guiding principles, defining who we are, what we do and how we do it.

We’re a Great Place to Work because of the amazing people who work for us, and to say thank you we offer a range of benefits to colleagues. Our ‘Tap Into’ benefits include:

• Generous holiday entitlement starting at 26 days, plus bank holidays and additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There’s also the option to buy or sell holidays.
• Company pension scheme, where we’ll double match your contributions up to an employer contribution of 11%.
• Free access to local attractions.
• A fantastic discount scheme, with savings on days out, shopping, travel and more.
• Award winning ‘Living Well’ wellbeing support, including access to a digital GP service for you and your family members.
• Support with sustainable travel – through salary sacrifice cars and a cycle to work scheme.
• Financial wellbeing support – access our community savings scheme, financial education and low cost loans through Salary Finance.
• We also provide 4 x Life Assurance and an Income Protection Scheme.
• Support with your development – we offer a range of development opportunities, can support you through an interest free qualification loan and we’ll even pay for any relevant professional body subscription.