Strategic Procurement Officer

Job content

SSE has big ambitions to be a leading energy company in a low carbon world. Following our commitment to invest £12.5 billion in low carbon projects over the next 5 years, we have significant growth plans and are well on our way to achieving our ambition to build a world that’s more sustainable and inclusive for you, your family, the community you live in and for generations to come.Join us on our journey to net zero and help us power change.Base Location: Glasgow, Perth or ReadingSalary: £40,658 - £49,626 + a range of other benefits to support your family, finances and wellbeing.Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible working options availableWhat is the Role?An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Strategic Procurement Officer (SPO) to work within the Infrastructure, Operations and Maintenance category team at SSE, which is responsible for the strategic procurement of direct goods, works and services for the SSE Group. The key category areas covered by the Team include Substation and Plant, Civils, Cabling, Overhead Line, Future Networks and Power Generation. Reporting to the Category Manager for Civils, Substation & Plant, you will be responsible for sourcing and managing a wide variety of goods, works and services including Civil construction, reinstatement, electrical plant, substation reinforcement works, construction materials, and automation in support of our Renewables, Distributed Energy, Thermal and Network businesses.As Strategic Procurement Officer (SPO) you will, in general terms, be responsible for:

• Supporting the wider Category team in the development of contracting and sourcing strategies to help ensure that SSE’s group-wide requirements are delivered in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.
• Proactively engaging stakeholders and suppliers throughout the end-to end procurement lifecycle in order to secure the most appropriate and innovative outcomes.
• Sourcing goods and services in accordance with SSE’s policies and procedures and any relevant external legislation (including EU Procurement directives) and managing all elements of the end-to-end sourcing process, whilst ensuring that appropriate risks are known and managed in accordance with SSE’s guidelines.
• The commercial analysis of contract/ tender submissions, the negotiation and drafting of specific contract terms and recommending the appropriate contract award.
• Supporting the on-going management of contracts (and suppliers) so as to secure the maximum value from our relationships.

What do I need?To be successful in this role, you will ideally be an experienced procurement professional who has been involved with delivering cross-business sourcing activities. A track record of relevant procurement knowledge across some of the afore-mentioned category areas would be preferred, as well as having experience of using various forms of contract and the associated terms.To Be Considered For This Role, You Will, Ideally

• Be accomplished in negotiating costs, contractual terms and relevant performance measures for supplier contracts.
• Have experience of a formal sourcing process and have some knowledge of relevant contractual risks and how to manage/ mitigate these.
• Be enthusiastic, with excellent influencing and stakeholder management skills that enable you to comfortably work across all levels within the business, whilst having the confidence to challenge the norm and think creatively.
• Be self-motivated, commercially astute and have strong problem-solving skills.
• Be comfortable working to deadlines, being able to change priorities whilst managing own time effectively.

About Our BusinessAt SSE, we own more than 500 property assets and several thousand land assets, which are located across the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland. Our Procurement & Commercial, Property and Facilities Management teams are responsible for helping the business to procure services and materials in a timely and cost-effective way, and for ensuring SSE offers a safe, modern, fit-for-purpose property portfolio. We work right across the SSE Group, ensuring our businesses gets the best possible service and value from our supplier network, as well as ensuring all service providers are compliant and continue to meet contractual obligations and business need.What’s in it for you?An excellent package with 34 days holiday entitlement, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, discounted healthcare, salary sacrifice car leasing and much more, view our full benefits package on our careers site.As an equal opportunity employer we encourage diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We actively encourage applicants from all protected characteristics and commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required during the application, assessment and upon joining SSE. Search for ’Inclusion & Diversity at SSE’ to find out more.Next StepsAll applications should be submitted online, and I’ll be back in touch after the vacancy closing date to let you know the outcome.If you would like to discuss any working differently requirements or adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment and selection process, please contact Francesca on francesca.thorn@sse.com / 01738 344763.Before commencing employment with SSE, you’ll be required to fully complete our pre-employment screening process consisting of a basic criminal records and credit check.