Procurement Specialist

Job Title: Procurement Specialist – Solar & Storage

Contract Length: 6 Months (Renewable)

Location: Hybrid (remote working with occasional visits to offices in London/Edinburgh/Durham/Newcastle)

Daily Rate: £550pd (Inside IR35)

Start Date: ASAP

A new opportunity has arisen with our client for a Procurement Specialist – with Opportunities in both SSPW (Solar, Storage and Private Wire) & BESS to manage procurement activities for their UK BESS projects.

Based out of one of their UK office’s the procurement activities include running the procurement cycle from:

-Prequalification of suppliers,

-Identification and selection of suppliers for upcoming projects and development initiatives,

-Launching of tenders,

-Analysis of bids,

-Tender qualification discussions with suppliers to ensure technical compliance,

-Negotiation and award of contracts (£250K-£30M)

-Preparation of requisite governance documentation and preparation of meetings for financial commitment,

This role is primarily required to deliver the procurement activities related to construction activities of their UK solar projects.

What you’ll be doing day to day…

• Leading on contract negotiations with suppliers to ensure value for money, savings are achieved and efficiencies are secured for the business whilst managing risk

• Supporting the CTO procurement team to initiate and implement procurement plans, including obtaining buy-in from key internal stakeholders

• Performing regular reviews of the performance of framework contracts within their market areas (i.e. goods supply or component refurbishment suppliers), where applicable.

• Supporting the commercial management team with warranty claims, disputes, contract amendments and variations

What do you need to be great at this role?

You will be an enthusiastic individual who can manage procurement activities in accordance with company procedures and acting as a point of reference for business users.

Your skills and experience will ensure the post delivers targeted benefits and best value in conjunction with key stakeholders. You’ll ideally hold a degree in quantity surveying, procurement or a business-related discipline with a commercial background and ideally have previous experience in the renewables sector. You’ll have excellent interpersonal skills, and act with honesty and integrity.

You’re driven by high standards of work and professionalism and will also have high expectations for yourself and the team. You can maintain an efficient manner throughout periods of increased pressure, and are accustomed to a fast paced working environment, acting with a sense of urgency to meet deadlines spanning multiple and complex projects.

The Procurement Specialist will develop and manage relationships with key suppliers, in order to improve supplier performance and promotes a partnering approach to managing contracts, attending key supplier meetings as and when needed.

You'll also be able to demonstrate:

• Highly desirable, MCIPS or RICS qualified (or working towards full membership).

• Experience of working in an project team environment, ideally with a Commercial Management / Quantity Surveying / Procurement background

• Experience in working in the Renewables sector

• Experience working in a capital intensive industry (Utilities, Oil and Gas, Mining, Defence)

• Proven ability to conduct successful tender negotiations with suppliers

• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles of procurement management and a proven track record

• Experience and understanding of FIDIC and NEC work contracts suites essential

• Experience in managing complex subcontract packages

• Strong negotiation & influencing skills, working knowledge of contract law

Why Our Client?

The industry leader recently made significant strides in expanding its Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Solar projects, aligning with its ambition to grow its assets under operation to c.5GW by 2030. Notably, having secured planning permission for several grid-scale BESS projects across the UK. These projects, located in the southern English counties of Kent, Norwich, and Essex, feature a combined output of 221MW and an energy storage capacity of 442MWh. Additionally, a new grid-scale BESS in Braintree, Essex, with an output of 57MW, is expected to begin construction in early 2024 and become operational in 2025.

On the solar front, They have made progress with two consented projects added to its solar portfolio in March 2021 at Burwell (49.9 MW) in South East Cambridgeshire and Porth Wen (49.9MW) in Anglesey. These projects have advanced to the site preparation and construction stage, with the expectation of first generation in Q4 2022. Solar energy, alongside wind and battery storage, plays a crucial role in enabling the UK to reach its net-zero targets.

The role will involve engaging with and managing procurement activities for these cutting-edge BESS and solar projects, supporting their goal of accelerating a net-zero future.

Their purpose is to accelerate a net-zero future where clean energy powers our lives. Our people are passionate about developing the low-carbon energy systems of the future and acting against climate change.

With their operating portfolio of 36 wind farms and two battery sites (together totaling almost 1GW) we are providing some of the much-needed new, affordable, low-carbon electricity to the UK and Ireland across four technologies (offshore and onshore wind, solar and battery storage), and plan to build five times this over the coming years.