Graduate Development Program, Associate Category Buyer, Procurement

As the Associate Category Buyer, you will be responsible for supporting National Grid’s sourcing activities for US Procurement. You'll be an integral member of the team and deliver innovative thinking to help our categories and stakeholders make effective sourcing decisions.

As an Associate Category Buyer, you'll be responsible for one of 3 teams: NY/NE Gas, Electric and Group Indirect Procurement. You'll work with internal and external stakeholders to establish clear business needs, along with supporting the delivery of savings targets. You'll gain a basic understanding of contractual terms and conditions by allowing you then to craft structured agreements with legal and stakeholder input.

Lastly, you'll gain an understanding of how to analyze large data sets and extract information for strategic decision-making.

Location: This position can be based in Albany or Syracuse, New York;
Brooklyn or Hicksville, New York; or Waltham, Massachusetts.

As the Associate Category Buyer, you'll be responsible for different areas:
Category Management, Commercial, Negotiation, Supplier Relationship Management, and Systems & Analytics.

Category Management

Execute operationally, complex sourcing activities; implement more than one option: RFX (Request forX), e-sourcing, or Consortiums.

Commercial Negotiation

Establish structured negotiation plans (with support of Senior staff) with clarity of desired outcomes, leveraging stakeholder input and support where appropriate.

Identify critical suppliers and create appropriate engagement plans to ensure our Supply Chain risk profile and inputs to continuous improvement are proactively managed.

Demonstrate a collaborative approach with the supply base and develop integrated plans to drive appropriate value for business and customer requirements.

Systems & Analytics

Adapt to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP, Tableau, Ariba, and Spend Analytics

• Bachelors or Master's degree from an accredited institution. Preferably in supply chain, business, operations management, information technology, or a related field.
• Graduated between May 2026 and June 2027
• Ability to begin the National Grid Graduate Program on June 7, 2027, or July 12, 2027
• Valid driver’s license required with a safe driving history that meets National Grid’s Safe Driver policy
• Work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States (such as sponsorship for an H-1B, TN, O, L, STEM OPT, or other employment-based work authorization)

• Experience with SAP, Ariba, Tableau, Spend Analytics, or other business, procurement, or reporting systems.
• Experience with strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, category management, or project management through coursework, internships, student organizations, or other leadership experiences.
• Familiarity with software development processes, networks, data and process flows, or other technology concepts that support procurement and supplier engagements.

• Structured development opportunities, mentorship, and ongoing feedback to accelerate your career growth
• Exposure to leaders, cross-functional teams, and diverse areas of the business
• Opportunities to build your professional network and develop lasting industry connections
• Meaningful work and real-world experience that provide a strong foundation for a long‑term career at National Grid
• Competitive salary ranging from $70,000 to $89,000
  , plus a comprehensive benefits package

National Grid’s Graduate Development Program (GDP) is a year-long development program for recent…