Procurement Specialist

What you’ll be responsible for

Job Profile

The Procurement Specialist reports to the Procurement Manager and operates within the Central Sourcing Team, delivering end‑to‑end procurement and purchasing activity for below‑threshold spend, with scope to support higher‑value or exceptional requirements where appropriate. The role provides support to the Procurement Manager as needed. It supports the business through effective call‑off activity, catalogue optimisation and the efficient, consistent processing of business requirements to deliver value for money outcomes.

The role is responsible for determining the appropriate route to market and/or compliant suppliers and supports a broad and diverse range of procurement activity across low‑ to high‑value requirements within the Central Sourcing Team. This includes delivery of call‑off activity from existing frameworks, framework‑with‑mini‑competition activity, rapid RFQs, spot buys, non‑category and category‑led initiatives, non‑contracted requirements and more complex procurement‑led tenders.

The role plays an important part in promoting standardised approaches to sourcing and purchasing activity, supporting the transition to a more centralised and consistent procurement operating model. In all cases, the role ensures that appropriate governance, speed and value for money are applied, balancing operational urgency with compliance, commercial assurance and policy alignment.

Key Responsibilities

• Progress and deliver end‑to‑end buying activity through agreed triage routes, ensuring requests are processed efficiently, consistently and in line with Centralised Central Sourcing Team service standards.
• Utilise agreed triage systems and routes to determine and apply the appropriate procurement route to market for each requirement, using sound commercial judgement to balance value, risk, urgency and compliance.
• Deliver call‑off activity from existing frameworks, including:
  • Framework‑with‑mini‑competition activity
  • RFQs
  • Spot buys
  • Procurement‑led tenders
    ensuring proportionate governance is applied in each case.

• Act as a trusted point of assurance within the Centralised Central Sourcing Team and for wider team members, ensuring procurement activity is compliant with policy, auditable and aligned to Welsh Water’s procurement framework.
• Support the agreement of appropriate commercial terms and pricing, contributing to cost efficiencies, value for money outcomes and effective supplier engagement.
• Contribute to the standardisation and continuous improvement of Centralised Central Sourcing Team processes, documentation and controls, supporting the transition to a more centralised procurement operating model while providing advice to business areas.
• Work closely with Operational Hubs, Category Management, Commercial Intelligence and Supplier Management teams to support continuity of supply and effective sourcing outcomes.
• Identify and share commercial insights, lessons learned and improvement opportunities that enhance procurement capability, service delivery and overall Centralised Central Sourcing Team performance.
• Maintain accurate records and data within purchasing systems, supporting reporting, audit requirements and benchmarking of best practice.
• Carry out any other duties as required to meet business needs.

About you

Essential Requirements

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent appropriate professional body qualification in a commercial or procurement‑related discipline.
• Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) (Level 6), or working towards (desirable), or equivalent appropriate financial qualification (or working towards).

Experience

• Strong experience in commercial, purchasing or procurement roles, with responsibility for end‑to‑end sourcing and delivery.
• Experience of negotiating with suppliers and managing risks (such as terms and conditions) across categories relevant to Welsh Water.
• Experience using purchasing technology (e.g. Ariba, SRM) to manage purchasing activity.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent purchasing activities, working at pace while maintaining quality and commercial rigour.
• Experience running processes for both tactical and strategic procurements, including (but not limited to):
• RFQs
• Mini competitions

Knowledge & Skills

• Broad commercial understanding across a range of categories and supplier markets, including awareness of pricing models, cost drivers and purchasing risks.
• Strong working knowledge of contract structures and commercial terms appropriate for sub‑threshold or low‑complexity contracts.
• High degree of adaptability and comfort operating in a fast‑paced environment with shifting priorities, with the ability to prioritise effectively to meet business needs.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to build credibility across different levels and disciplines.
• Ability to identify and share commercial insights that influence wider procurement or business strategies.

Good to know

Please note, we may close this role sooner if required. We may also extend the original closing date depending on interest.

Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business. For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.

Benefits

As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, 26 days + 8 public holiday days), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

•             Variable pay schemes (your salary band will remain the same, but performance depending, you could receive an incremental within-band increase and a yearly incentive)

•             Option to buy additional annual leave up to 5 days per year

•             Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions

•             Free Mortgage Brokering Services 

•             Enhanced family friendly policies

•             Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes

•             Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping

•             Cycle to work scheme

•             Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops

•             Car-leasing scheme and free on-site parking at all sites

•             Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service

•             An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family

•             Many more can be found on our website!

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision.  This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them.  The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work. 

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.