Senior Buyer

We have an exciting, new opportunity for a Senior Buyer to join our team on a 12month fixed contract basis.

As a Senior Buyer for IT / IS, you will be responsible for the complex procurement operations, identifying future opportunities and driving commercial value through sourcing and ongoing contract management activities. This will involve engaging and building strong working relationships with stakeholders to identify business needs. A core understanding of the IT / IS supply chains and market offerings will be required to ensure best for task solutions. You'll also be accountable for end-to-end management of their portfolio including sourcing and contract management.

Additionally to this you will use your understanding of our stakeholders to challenge demand, background in procurement / commercial IT / IS, be able to build sourcing strategies and deliver events from market engagement through to award and driving value through contract management. You will monitor the supplier service levels and cost performance through KPIs ensuring that the terms and conditions on which contracts are awarded are in line with Cadent risk profile and legal frameworks.

What you'll get to work on:

- Profiling IT / IS supply chain through supplier research and market trends to assess future contract risks and opportunities
- Responsible for ensuring compliance with sourcing and contract management frameworks
- Developing IT / IS supply chains to meet support outcomes
- Scoping and developing contractual agreements to meet Cadent's needs
- Leading supplier relationship management and contract relationship management activities including resolving contract performance issues putting in place plans to resolve
- Supporting the implementation of procurement and contract management change initiatives
- Providing cost and commercial control across Cadent activities and ensuring contract payments and claims are within contract terms and also undertaking benchmarking to ensure Cadent's arrangements and
- Contractor costs remain competitive

Degree or equivalent in a commercial / procurement discipline and relevant commercial / procurement experience (Essential at appointment)

Practical Experience

- Experience in managing complex IT Tenders including Operational Technology, Cyber and Physical security domains
- An understanding of EU and Utility Procurement Directives ideally supported by evidence of running a competitive compliant tender process
- Experience of strategic sourcing and other procurement activities including contract managing a portfolio of suppliers and experience in leading supplier meetings
- Confident in analysing and presenting data to inform sourcing / contract decisions
- A good understanding of contract drafting principles and experience in contract development, including the ability to make recommendations / amendments
- Confident in sourcing and managing different forms of contracts / framework agreements with demonstrable experience in leading negotiations with suppliers
- Experience in supporting process improvements to improve the customer experience, Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

At Cadent we're excited to be part of the future of UK energy! We've got a clear roadmap that will drive our performance to the forefront of our industry and support the UK government in achieving its net zero targets by 2050.

We're making a difference through innovation and new ways of working. Together we're shaping a cleaner, greener future for our 11 million customers whom we put at the heart of everything we do.

Funding and support towards completing qualifications
- Ample opportunity for progression within the business
- Mentoring and guidance opportunities

Why Join Us
We offer a host of benefits to suit your lifestyle and support your well-being. These include:

- Annual bonus
- Pension Scheme double matched up to a total of 18% of salary (i.e., employee contributions of up to 6%, double matched by a Cadent contribution of up to 12%)
- 25 days holiday, plus statutory days, and an option to buy more
- Fantastic career development prospects with funded learning options, including support with exams, and internal and external learning and development
- Strong focus on supporting you as an individual including:
- Flexible working
- Strong commitments to ED&I
- Generous family provision policies
- Flexible benefits including cycle to work scheme, salary sacrifice car scheme, insurance, and healthcare packages, plus much more
- My Offers membership card - offering discounts and savings from hundreds of retailers
- 2 paid volunteering days per year
- Free gym access at the Ansty office, as well as a 'Gympass' scheme providing free or heavily subsidised local gym memberships

We want our employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance and are happy to discuss flexible working options with you if the role can accommodate it. Let us know about your flexibility requirements, whether that be reduced hours, remote working, flexible start/finish times, or compressed hours, and we will be more than happy to explore what's possible for the role.