Senior Procurement Specialist (x2)

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

It’s not every job where you make a difference for the people of Scotland. But it’s what’s behind every job here. Our work keeps Scotland’s water flowing, from reservoir to tap – and from sewer to treatment plant. 

We’re looking for 2 Senior Procurement Specialists to join us.

If you’re a procurement specialist looking to work in a CIPS Platinum accredited team, delivering great value services that offer tangible economic and environment benefits for Scotland, we would love to hear from you.

What you’ll do

Scottish Water is gearing up for significant procurement activity as we prepare for SR27 – our next investment period – where we aim to invest c.£5.0 to 8.7 billion over the next 6 years. We’re exploring new approaches to supply chain management, digital innovation and partnering ecosystems to achieve our strategic goals.

You’ll be working alongside your Procurement colleagues to make sure that Scottish Water has access to the goods and services it needs at the right time, to the right standard  - and that deliver good value for money for the Scottish taxpayers that fund our services.

Risk Management is a crucial component of our Procurement strategy. You’ll be making sure that structural, ethical, local, and global supply chain risks are effectively monitored, managed and made visible to enable a sustainable and agile supply chain.

We’re planning some major changes to our approach to delivering through partners. You’ll help ensure that our supply chain remains fit for purpose through long term strategic alignment between Scottish Water and our supply chain partners and wider partnering ecosystems.

Crucially, you’ll continue to learn and stretch yourself. The Procurement Team in Scottish Water is envied for its promotional opportunities. We have an ethos of developing our enthusiastic and talented people and creating the right opportunities for them to grow and progress through the organisational structure.

What you’ll bring

You’ll have a proven track record of procurement delivery in any sector, although Utilities, Public Sector and Construction would be particularly helpful.

Our procurement is done at a large scale, with a team 50 procurement specialists managing £1.30 billion each year – so you’ll need to have the commercial and analytical skills required to manage large scale contract portfolios.

You’ll need to be able to demonstrate your ability to effectively influence and collaborating with stakeholders and suppliers at all levels.

You will have a proactive, ‘can-do’ approach and energy - this is essential to ensure delivery at pace and to a high quality. 

Ideally, you will be professionally qualified to MCIPS level – or on your way to securing this. If you are still studying for your qualifications, we’ll support you through your exams.

Finally, you may be visiting remote sites, so a UK (DVLA-issued) driving license is essential.  

Looking out for you

While the work we do is important, we know it’s not the only thing that matters. That’s why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work-life balance.

This is a full time role, working 35hrs a week. You’ll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take time off to volunteer in your community.

When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave.

And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working. For your future, there’s our pension (the ‘know-what-you’ll-get-when-you-retire’ kind), and life assurance.

As for some nice extras? You can expect an annual company bonus, not to mention access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.

The not-so-small print

This role will be a Grade 7. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a salary between £41,000 - £51,970, depending on your skills and experience. Performance-driven pay progression will then allow you to move through the range to the maximum salary. New hires are also eligible for our annual pay award.

We operate in a flexible/hybrid model. But the Procurement team get together every Wednesday and every second Monday at our office in Stepps. You can also expect to spend some days visiting other Scottish Water sites and offices.

If you’re interested in these roles – or know someone else who might be - we’ll accept applications until midnight on 23rd April 2025.

We’re aiming to do interviews for these roles in Glasgow in May.

When applying, please upload a CV AND a Covering letter telling us why you’re interested in Scottish Water (and in this role).

A few final things worth knowing…

Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So don’t rule yourself out!

Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). We're also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask.

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

Finally (finally!), candidates who haven’t submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You won’t need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted. 

We’re here to help. Ask us anything at [email protected]