Associate Category Buyer

At National Grid we are committed to delivering safe and reliable energy to the customers and communities we serve. We are one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. We are proud of the contributions our work and our people make to the prosperity and wellbeing of our customers, communities, and investors.

National Grid has embarked on ambitious capital projects and construction program designed to build the infrastructure to enable our renewable electric future. Projects include upgrades to transmission lines, substations and distribution network infrastructure that will support renewable energy and reliability initiatives and other programs.

National Grid has a focus on providing electricity and gas to millions of its existing customers, by continuously updating its infrastructure to provide the most safe and reliable system.

The Associate Buyer role is an entry level position at National Grid. The associate buyer starts their journey by being introduced to several stakeholders and suppliers that the team works with and being exposed to various contracting models and categories pertaining to their assigned category team. The Associate Buyer also receives role-based training and shadows other procurement colleagues to gain hands-on experience and build foundational procurement skills (such as negotiation, stakeholder engagement, supplier relationship management, strategy development and supply chain risk mitigation).

The following competencies are core to the Associate Buyer role:

Procurement/Strategic Sourcing Process (SSP)
* Source Events (RFx, Sole Source, direct negotiate) - Work with experienced buyers in the execution of moderate sourcing initiatives using tailored procurement strategies to optimize value, mitigate risk, and support business objectives
* Stakeholder Coordination - Start to form necessary relationships with various stakeholder groups through the business units and suppliers, while developing an understanding of the needs and issues that each side faces
* Bid Analysis - Analyze responses to bid requests, collaborate with team peers to find commercial differences, and develop an understanding of why certain recommendations are made in selecting appropriate suppliers for contract awards
* Total Cost of Ownership - Through training and working with peers, develop the ability to evaluate and apply the concept of total cost of ownership (TCO) and supplier/ contract switching costs to support decision making options
* Commercial Negotiation - Work with senior members of the team in preparing negotiation strategies with clarity of desired outcomes and conducting complex negotiations successfully under aggressive time demands

* Bachelor's degree (B.A or B.S) required; in supply chain or business management degree preferred, master's degree
* 0-1 Years experience in a procurement role
* Must have good interpersonal skills and be able to clearly articulate one's position and be able to influence others
* Demonstrated experience working in a team setting and delivering successful outcomes
* Capable of identifying problems and using critical thinking to root cause and take corrective action
* The candidate must have proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Platforms (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
* Experience or coursework pertaining to ERP Systems (SAP or Ariba) a plus

#LI-NK!1 #LI-PROCUREMENT

At National Grid, we work a hybrid work schedule which generally means that some days you will work in the office and some days you will work remotely. This can vary and is at your manager's discretion. Applicants for these positions can be located in any of our service territories (New York and Massachusetts) or any state that borders New York and Massachusetts, and you must reside within a reasonable driving distance to your respective office.