Senior Buyer - IT in Bradford

Company description: Water Utility Company based in Yorkshire region of England.

We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience (£50,663 - £63,329), annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year), attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution), development opportunities in line with the Senior Buyer progression plan, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and an extra 2 wellness days! Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary, a great benefits package, choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover, retail savings scheme, online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: West Yorkshire / Hybrid Working (1 - 2 Days in the office a week Bradford) - Relocating to Leeds Summer 2026. Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Buyer IT & OT to join the Commercial team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers.

What we do: Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it's so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire's water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region's health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The Commercial team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. The Senior Buyer is responsible for supporting the development and delivery of category specific strategies, leading procurement and below threshold projects, contract implementation and lifecycle through exit to the next iteration.

The role holder will be a key part of a Commercial Operations Team leading in the development and delivery of compliant sourcing pipeline. They will be skilled in the use of a broad set of analytical tools and able to identify current and future business opportunities based on their ability to analyse data from multiple sources. The role holder will collaborate with business stakeholders and lead the engagement to deliver industry leading procurement strategies.

Where you fit in: As our Indirect Category - Information Technology & Operational Technology (IT&OT) you will:

• Design and deliver high-impact sourcing strategies that maximise value, drive efficiencies, and consistently achieve cost-saving targets.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing projects, ensuring full compliance while delivering measurable financial benefits, reducing risk, and improving processes through a whole-life costing approach.
• Conduct robust market analysis and lead proactive market engagement, uncovering opportunities for innovation and driving continuous improvement.
• Build and manage strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business, ensuring alignment and successful delivery of procurement initiatives.
• Act as a trusted Commercial subject matter expert, confidently translating complex solutions into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders and senior leaders.
• Challenge and support stakeholders to shape procurement strategies that meet both immediate and future business needs.
• Champion best practice procurement by ensuring full compliance with Utilities Contracts Regulations (UCR2016), Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), and internal governance frameworks.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Demonstrates strong commercial acumen through practical experience in water, construction, or related sectors, consistently delivering cost savings, high quality services, and effective contract outcomes.
• Proven ability to negotiate effectively and resolve disputes efficiently across all stages of the contract lifecycle.
• Leads the development and ongoing management of procurement strategies, overseeing a portfolio of simple and complex sourcing activities while ensuring full compliance with legislative and governance requirements.
• Builds strong stakeholder relationships by engaging with business leads to understand their needs and develop commercial approaches that support the achievement of business plan targets.
• Applies effective supplier and vendor management practices, including performance management, contract segmentation, and tailored supplier treatment to maximise value.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of procurement legislation and ensures its consistent application to maintain compliance and deliver robust procurement outcomes.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it's important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn't always easy!

If you've got experience in Senior Buying and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible. Closing date for this role is the 31st of May 2026. No agencies please.