Associate Buyer

Location:

Bristol or Warwick (Travel required)

Salary: £41,455 - £44,064

This is an incredibly exciting time to join National Gas. As we continue to evolve and invest in the future of energy infrastructure, our West Region Supply Chain team is undergoing a significant transformation, creating a unique opportunity for a talented Associate Buyer to help shape how we deliver critical services across the region.

If you're looking for a role where you can make a real impact, gain exposure to complex projects, and grow rapidly within a supportive and evolving team, this is it.

Based in our Bristol or Warwick Office, this Buyer position plays a key role in supporting the delivery of supply chain activities across West National Gas Services.

You'll work closely with our Buyers and Supply Chain Leads, project stakeholders and suppliers to manage end-to-end procurement activities, from early demand planning and sourcing strategy through to tendering, contract award and supplier management.

This is a hands-on, varied role within a team that is building new ways of working, giving you the chance to influence processes, develop your expertise, and grow alongside the function.

• Support the delivery of regional supply chain and procurement activities across multiple projects
• Collaborate with project teams to understand forecasted demand and upcoming requirements
• Develop and manage sourcing strategies and tender processes (RFQs, ITTs)
• Build and run tenders using SAP Ariba (or similar systems)
• Assist in creating strategic documentation (e.g., Gate Packs, sourcing approaches)
• Evaluate supplier proposals including commercial benchmarking and analysis
• Manage supplier relationships, ensuring quality, performance and value delivery
• Support contract management and mobilisation activities
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, governance, and industry standards
• Contribute to a developing supply chain function, helping shape best practices and frameworks

You are a motivated and commercially aware procurement professional who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced and evolving environment. You're confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, comfortable navigating ambiguity, and bring a proactive, solutions-focused approach to your work.

You combine strong communication skills with sound commercial judgement and enjoy contributing to both day-to-day delivery and continuous improvement. Most importantly, you bring a positive, adaptable attitude, recognising that potential, curiosity, and mindset are just as important as experience within this team.

You may also bring experience from sectors such as utilities, infrastructure, engineering, or construction, along with familiarity with complex or regulated environments. Exposure to contract frameworks such as NEC, FIDIC or JCT, or experience in areas like supplier benchmarking or category management, would further strengthen your profile.

• Proven experience within a Buyer, Procurement, or Supply Chain role
• Exposure to tendering and sourcing processes (RFQ, RFP, ITT) and supplier selection
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Good commercial awareness, with the ability to review and evaluate supplier proposals
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a wider team
• Experience using procurement or ERP systems (e.g., SAP Ariba or similar)
• Willingness to travel regionally as required

Additionally, the following experience would be advantageous:

• Knowledge or experience of contract frameworks, particularly NEC (highly desirable), or transferable frameworks such as FIDIC or JCT
• Exposure to category management, supplier benchmarking, or cost analysis
• Experience operating within a regulated, project-based, or complex commercial environment

As part of a team in transformation, your ideas and contributions will genuinely matter. You'll play a key role in evolving processes and ways of working, while developing core capabilities in:

• Strategic sourcing
• Contract management
• Supplier performance and relationship management

With a strong focus on learning and progression, this role provides clear pathways for career advancement within both Supply Chain and Commercial functions. You'll be supported in accelerating your development in an environment that values attitude, collaboration, and continuous growth.

• Annual bonus of up to 6%, based on both personal performance and overall company success
• 26 days' holiday plus statutory holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave
• Generous double-match pension scheme – for every £1 you contribute, we'll add £2 (up to a maximum company contribution of 12%)
• Flexible benefits package including private healthcare, dental insurance, travel insurance, and technology schemes
• Life assurance of 10x your annual salary for added peace of mind
• Long-term financial protection if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Excellent family-friendly policies, including…