Senior Procurement Manager

About us

United Utilities (UU) is proud to be ranked #11 in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. We value diversity, inclusion and innovation in our workplace, and we foster a culture where our people can grow, excel, and be themselves. Whether you work with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation to be part of and to belong to.

Our mission is to deliver high-quality water for a more prosperous, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society. We uphold our ethics, values and business model to fulfil our mission and, by setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable long-term value for our colleagues, customers and communities.

Joining us

We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll join a thriving FTSE 100 company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution. These include:

• A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service, in addition to 8 bank holidays
• A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover
• A 10.5% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements
• A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme

The role

Are you an experienced Senior Procurement Manager looking for a rewarding career, that combines your passion for business and stakeholder management with sustainable, large-scale projects that benefit society and the environment? If yes, then United Utilities (UU) have exciting opportunities for you to join our team at our headquarters in Lingley Mere, Warrington, Cheshire.

UU are experiencing a period of growth and transformation, creating several opportunities within our Commercial function to work alongside our largest and most ambitious new projects. As Senior Procurement Manager you will lead and support one of several business-critical teams, managing a multitude of responsibilities. You will have the opportunity to manage a range of commercial activities, including sourcing, strategic market management, supplier collaboration and commercial operations, whilst ensuring value for money for our customers and our continued commitment to North West, England. Our roles will offer the opportunity for you to join during a period of unprecedented development, allowing you to grow within our organisation, tailoring your role to requirements and enhancing your value-contribution throughout your tenure.

In joining us, you will have full exposure to the organisation, our major projects and our largest industry partners. Stakeholder collaboration is vital for this role. You will therefore need to build strong working relationships, manage key internal and external stakeholders effectively and ensure a full business partnering model, whilst maximising value, collaborating with other experts and leading initiatives to tackle challenges unique to our industry, contributing to our success and helping us achieve our objectives.

We champion flexible ways of working. In-person attendance is required three days per week to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

United Utilities offer dynamic and long-lasting options that will help you grow professionally and personally and you will have the chance to enhance your skill, knowledge and experience in a supportive and collaborative environment. If you are passionate about making a positive difference for the North West of England and want to join us on our journey of transformation, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and become part of the UU family!

Key responsibilities

• Develop and undertake strategies for complex, medium to high spend categories with significant business impact e.g., Operations and In-Direct, managing all risk, legislative and regulatory requirements
• Work collaboratively and sustain value-based relationships with stakeholders and colleagues to drive overall risk, relationships, innovation and performance values
• Create and deliver benefits pipeline, in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, colleagues and applicable budgets
• Provide key subject matter expertise (SME) and input into integrated planning reviews, driving continuous improvement across the commercial function and aligning deliverables with objectives and priorities
• Conduct regular external, competitor and/or market benchmark assessments to provide insights in trend analysis, new product offerings, innovations and good practises, leading continuous improvement initiatives with the commercial function
• Lead a team of Procurement Managers, fostering teamwork and contributing to the development of the team to maximising value for the organisation by supporting and providing guidance to peers and into training requirements

Skills & experience
To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Degree educated, with a relevant post-graduate qualification (e.g. CIPS, RICS, MBA, MSC) OR equivalent skills, knowledge and experience
• Proven stakeholder management and/or business partnering experience at senior level
• Relevant contract sourcing and/or contract management experience.
• Experience leading/managing a team within a commercial environment

If not already held, successful candidates will be supported to undertake the relevant level of study with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) if not already held. This will be funded by UU.