Buyer/Planner III-US
About The Position
The Senior Category Buyer plays a key role in sourcing and managing gas construction and LNG-related categories, working with suppliers and stakeholders to deliver safe, compliant, and cost-effective infrastructure solutions. They develop and own key supplier and stakeholder relationships, able to evaluate supplier risks and develop mitigation plans. As a key member of our procurement group, they deliver innovative thinking supported by detailed analytics, data science, market research, and subject matter expertise, to help our category teams and stakeholders make effective sourcing decisions. Through business partnering the procurement group enhances the relationship and from collaborative efforts bridges the gap of applying critical thinking, helping drive the goals of the company forward, providing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and risk mitigation efforts, while further evaluating our supplier base.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree (B.A or B.S) required; in supply chain or business management degree preferred.
- 5+ Years experience in a procurement role.
- Experience in the $10 – 20M spend range with contract and framework/multiyear agreements.
- Strategic sourcing, contract negotiations and vendor management.
- Strong working knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP and ARIBA.
- Working knowledge of Power Bi, etc.
- Strong interpersonal skills, specifically in communications across a matrixed organization.
- Proficient in planning, project management, stakeholder engagement, and business analysis.
- Ability to clearly articulate one’s position and be able to influence others.
Nice To Haves
- Masters degree
- Experience with bidding construction projects is a plus (EPC, EPCM; GMP, Design/Bid/Build, etc.) which includes full depth of knowledge of several models that can be articulated to the business that will help with the understanding of the pros & cons of each further acting as a trusted advisor for the proposed selection of the most appropriate model.
- Professional Certification in Supply Chain or Contract Management (I.E. CPSM and APICS)
Responsibilities
- Develop and own key supplier and stakeholder relationships.
- Evaluate supplier risks and develop mitigation plans.
- Deliver innovative thinking supported by detailed analytics, data science, market research, and subject matter expertise.
- Develop and establish business needs, apply forward thinking skills establishing flexible long-term category strategies with value options & clear supplier performance criteria.
- Regularly engage with suppliers to seek feedback, discuss improvement opportunities, and resolve issues, while ensuring continuous enhancement of supplier performance and alignment with National Grid's objectives.
- Utilize varied and complex data sets to identify gaps and new opportunities to drive benefits through the contracts End to End lifecycle, while implementing analytics as part of the Category Strategy.
- Conduct industry analysis and evaluate supplier performance, incorporating the research into the Category Strategy and associated contract initiatives/bidding events.
- Lead the execution of multiple sourcing initiatives using tailored procurement strategies to optimize value, mitigate risk, and support business objectives.
- Develop and maintain relationships with business units and suppliers, while further understanding the needs and issues that each side faces.
- Analyze responses to complex bid requests, points out commercial differences, and makes succinct recommendations in selecting appropriate suppliers for contract awards.
- Drive continuous improvement to identify and eliminate waste in the extended E2E Supply Chain.
- Identify innovative procurement solutions that provide savings benefits and process efficiencies for the organization.
- Evaluate and apply the concept of total cost of ownership (TCO) and supplier/ contract switching costs to support decision making options.
- Prepare negotiation strategies with clarity of desired outcomes and conduct complex negotiations successfully under aggressive time demands.
- Has comprehensive understanding of supplier's position, desired outcomes, and leverage points with the ability to maximize the benefits to the company while maintaining a good working relationship with suppliers.
- Work with contract management to evaluate and build appropriate supplier performance measurements (KPls) into contractual frameworks.
- Identifies critical suppliers and creates appropriate engagement plans to ensure our Supply Chain risk profile and inputs to continuous improvement are proactively managed.
- Demonstrates a collaborative approach with supply base and develops integrated plans to drive appropriate value for business and customer requirements.
- Act as a mentor to other buyers in the organization.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
