Procurement Business Partner

At South West Water , we believe that the strongest businesses are built on solid, stable foundations—with a vision and culture that foster change, improvement, and innovation. We are proud to provide reliable, efficient, and high-quality drinking water and wastewater services for the beautiful South West area. Our ambitions include reaching net-zero by 2030 and partnering with Wildlife Trusts, National Parks, and local organizations to ensure a better future for generations to come. If you want to be part of a diverse team where opportunities flow and fresh ideas are welcomed, #JustAddWater.

We currently have opportunities for 2 fixed-term Procurement Business Partners to join our team for 12 months. One role requires a base in Exeter or Bristol; the other can be based in Exeter, Bristol, or Redhill. All roles require attendance at your base for a minimum of 2 days per week, with the remainder of the time working from home, along with some travel between our main offices. The salary is competitive, up to £52,000 per annum plus excellent benefits .

About the role:

One fixed-term role focuses on corporate services, including IT, FM, customer services, and more, while the other concentrates on plant and equipment for wastewater services. You will have the opportunity to develop and monitor strategies for allocated categories of spend to support purchasing requirements across the business, covering the full procurement lifecycle including sourcing, contract management, and supplier management. This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate a strong commercial focus and drive efficiency to support the management of commercial risks and opportunities for South West Water.

What you\’ll be doing:

1. Procurement Business Partnering: Advise and challenge senior stakeholders on procurement planning, ensuring compliance, accountability, and risk-aware decision-making across operational and capital spend.
2. Category & Commercial Strategy: Own and deliver long-term procurement strategies for high-value/risk categories, providing market insights and aligning plans with strategic goals.
3. Sourcing & Contracting: Lead end-to-end sourcing processes, from contract design and tendering to negotiation and award, ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and commercial standards.
4. Contract & Supplier Management: Monitor and manage supplier performance, conduct due diligence, lead contract reviews, and drive continuous improvement through KPIs and stakeholder feedback.
5. Commercial Support for Projects: Provide analytical and commercial input into key business decisions and investment cases, including risk modeling and strategic procurement evaluation.
6. Process Improvement & Governance: Ensure procurement processes align with corporate objectives, health & safety, and environmental standards, promoting continuous improvement.
7. Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Support team resilience through cross-coverage, align internal processes, and share expertise to enhance capabilities across the procurement team and stakeholders.

What we\’re looking for:

1. Strong commercial and strategic mindset; understanding the role of procurement in delivering corporate goals and managing risk.
2. Experience in delivering efficiency, cost savings, and value for money within a supply chain management function.
3. Excellent verbal communication skills at all levels, with the ability to support and deliver business change.
4. Proven negotiation and client/supply chain management experience, managing cost and value drivers effectively.
5. Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate, support, and challenge across different functions and seniority levels.
6. Working knowledge of UK/EU procurement regulations and various contract and commercial models.
7. A CIPS qualification (or working towards) is highly desirable.
8. Knowledge of ERP systems, SRM sourcing, and e-procurement tools.

What\’s in it for you:

1. Opportunities for ongoing development and training, supporting a long-term career with us. We are proud to be an Investors in People-recognized organization.
2. Excellent benefits, including:
3. Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays
4. A discretionary bonus
5. Competitive contributory pension
6. Share-save scheme
7. Health benefits
8. Wellbeing support programs
9. Group discounts
10. Cycle to Work scheme
11. Financial support services
12. And more!

Closing date:

29th May 2025

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, value everyone, and celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values are:

• Be Rock Solid: Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
• Be You: Bring your best every day. Be yourself and make your mark in your unique way.
• Be the Future: Embrace change, drive progress, own the challenge.

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