At a Glance
- Tasks: Analyse data and support procurement projects to drive cost savings and efficiency.
- Company: Thames Water, the UK's largest water and wastewater company.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous annual leave, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements and opportunities for career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainability while developing your analytical skills.
- Qualifications: Degree in a numerical field and experience in an analytical role.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 60000 £ per year.
Contract: Permanent
Salary: up to 60,000 per annum
Procurement at Thames Water plays a key role in delivering significant cost savings while driving wider commercial value across the business. Operating within a dynamic matrix environment, the role offers exposure to a broad range of high-value projects, stakeholders, suppliers, and business functions. The team manages approximately 1.5 billion in annual spend, overseeing contracts ranging from 100,000 to several hundred million pounds.
The purpose of this role is to provide analytical and commercial support to the wider Commercial team across multiple concurrent projects. The successful candidate will help assess procurement opportunities with stakeholders and support the end-to-end delivery of sourcing activities, ensuring recommendations deliver best value and align with business objectives.
What you'll be doing as a Senior Commercial Analyst:
- Obtaining, cleansing and analysing large and complex data files to provide insight on our historical spend as well as identifying opportunities in cost and operational efficiency using historic and forecast information.
- Leading and supporting stakeholder (project) meetings and presenting findings in front of stakeholder group, which may involve senior-level commercial and operational managers to drive decision making.
- Demonstrating a thirst for knowledge to understand the macro and micro trends in the wider supply chain and applying these to commercial strategy.
- Taking ownership for our commercial data, including proactively cleansing our historic and forecast data to ensure it is as accurate as possible and available to the wider team through our commercial tools.
- Regularly engaging with stakeholders to elicit information and define the scope of analysis, and providing support to internal and external (supplier) meetings to explain data analysis as requested.
- Meeting time, cost and quality milestones at all times with proactive risk escalation to prevent any potential issues.
- Proactively identify further opportunities for the analyst team to support the commercial process and embrace these new opportunities.
Base location: Hybrid Clear Water Court Reading
Working pattern: Monday to Friday 36 hours
Necessary requirements for the role:
- A Degree in a numerical field.
What you should bring to the role:
- Degree-qualified in a numerically focused discipline such as Engineering, Accounting, Mathematics, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
- Proven experience in a similar analytical or commercial role within a fast-paced organisation.
- Confident and proven experience in presenting business cases, insights, and recommendations to senior stakeholders and influencing decision-making.
- A proactive self-starter with a strong analytical mindset and the ability to perform effectively under pressure and across multiple priorities.
- Advanced technical skills in Excel, VBA, Power BI, Power Query and PowerPoint, with the ability to turn complex data into clear and actionable insights.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work independently, prioritise competing demands, and deliver high-quality outputs efficiently.
- Strong problem-solving capability, including the ability to identify key issues, analyse information from multiple sources, and draw clear, commercially sound conclusions.
- Good understanding of commercial business operations, with practical experience using business analysis methodologies and data modelling tools.
What's in it for you?
- Competitive salary of up to 60,000 per annum depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family's health and wellbeing, and your finances - from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
Who are we?
We're the UK's largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It's a big job and we've got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.
Learn more about our purpose and values.
Working at Thames Water:
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you'll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you're looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people's lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we'll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family.
Why choose us? Learn more.
We're committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that's extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we're here to help and support.
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you'll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It's also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.
Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Senior Commercial Analyst - Reading, Berkshire in Sonning Common employer: Thames Water
Thames Water is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Reading where you can make a meaningful impact on millions of lives. With competitive salaries, generous annual leave, and a strong focus on employee wellbeing, we provide ample opportunities for professional growth and development. Join us to be part of a diverse team committed to sustainability and innovation, all while enjoying the flexibility of hybrid working arrangements.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Commercial Analyst - Reading, Berkshire in Sonning Common
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or attend industry events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your skills as a Senior Commercial Analyst. This will help you tailor your responses and show you're genuinely interested.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your presentation skills! Since you'll be presenting findings to stakeholders, being able to communicate complex data clearly is key. Grab a friend or family member and run through your insights to get comfortable.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining the Thames Water team and making a difference.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Commercial Analyst - Reading, Berkshire in Sonning Common
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Commercial Analyst role. Highlight your analytical skills and experience in procurement, as well as any relevant projects you've worked on that align with the job description.
Showcase Your Data Skills:Since this role involves a lot of data analysis, be sure to emphasise your technical skills in Excel, Power BI, and other tools. Share specific examples of how you've used these skills to drive insights and support decision-making in previous roles.
Engage with Stakeholders:Demonstrate your experience in stakeholder engagement by mentioning instances where you've successfully presented findings or influenced decisions. This will show us that you can effectively communicate complex information to senior managers.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. It’s the quickest way for us to receive your application and get you into the process. Don’t wait too long, as we may close the advert earlier than expected!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Senior Commercial Analyst, you'll be dealing with complex data. Brush up on your analytical skills and be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive decisions in past roles. Prepare examples that showcase your ability to cleanse and analyse large datasets.
✨Engage Stakeholders Effectively
Stakeholder engagement is key in this role. Think about how you can demonstrate your experience in leading meetings and presenting findings. Practice articulating your insights clearly and confidently, as you'll need to influence senior-level managers.
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Make sure you're comfortable discussing your technical expertise in tools like Excel, Power BI, and VBA. Be prepared to explain how you've used these tools to turn complex data into actionable insights. Maybe even bring a portfolio of your work to share!
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Thames Water operates in a dynamic environment, so it's crucial to show that you understand macro and micro trends in the supply chain. Research current industry trends and think about how they could impact procurement strategies. This will help you stand out as a candidate who is not just focused on the numbers.
