Procurement & Contracts Manager - Hydrogen

Energise Your Career, Accelerate a Net-Zero Future #RenewablesJobs

The opportunity

Are you passionate about all thing’s procurement? Do you want to join a company leading the way for a Net Zero future? Then we might just have the role for you….

We have a great opportunity for a Procurement and Contracts Manager. This role will report into a Principal Procurement and Contracts Manager and lead on providing comprehensive procurement support to development and construction activities for the Tees Green Hydrogen project.

The Tees Green Hydrogen is a pioneering project using the green electricity from nearby Teesside offshore wind farm along with a consented new solar farm, which EDF Renewables UK intends to construct near Redcar, to power its hydrogen electrolyser. The project is being delivered via a Joint Venture, between EDF Renewables UK and Hynamics, a 100% subsidiary of EDF Group specialising in hydrogen. The project has secured funding from the government’s Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF). The project will provide a boost to local industry and transport by supplying green hydrogen to support decarbonisation efforts and achieve a significant reduction in industrial pollution, securing its long-term sustainability.

As a key figure of the procurement team, embedded within EDF-RE’s Central Technical Office Procurement Department, this is a key position in building a robust supply chain and delivering end to end procurement support principally for EDF’s Hydrogen projects.

Pay, benefits and culture 

If you’re looking to join a company where you can work hard, have fun, and help to create a Net Zero future – then you’re in the right place!’

Our passion for embracing new ideas and being open-minded to change helps us continue to grow successfully.

We’re committed to helping all of our people thrive during their time with us, recognising and rewarding every person for their hard work and commitment. 

Alongside a competitive salary, bonus, and market-leading pension scheme, we offer a range of flexible benefits and employee discounts to help you thrive across all aspects of your life. You can spend your flexible fund on the benefits that matter to you, whether that’s an electric vehicle, private healthcare, additional holiday or one or more of our other benefits.

We’ll offer you the flexibility, freedom and responsibility to make an impact in your role; whether that’s on-site, in the office or hybrid working from home.  

We’re committed to championing diversity representation across gender, ethnicity, LGBT+, disability and more. This applies to all our roles, underpinned by our Everyone’s Welcome inclusion programme.

We’re a disability confident employer and we’ll do all we can to help with your application, making adjustments as you need.

What you’ll be doing

In this role you will balance a varied workload and ensure objectives are achieved on time without compromising governance, safety and quality standards.

The key challenges for the role will be to define, agree and execute value-driven commercial strategies (in conjunction with your business partners and wider stakeholders) whilst ensuring adequate procurement and commercial management resource is in place to play a key part of project delivery.

Principal responsibilities include:

• Serve as a single point of contact for procurement of EDF’s hydrogen project in the UK.
• Initiating and implementing hydrogen project procurement/sourcing strategies and plans including obtaining buy-in from key internal stakeholders.
• Assessing and evaluating procurement risks (political, environment, technical, economic and legal) and developing appropriate procurement/commercial mitigation strategies.
• Leading procurement of goods and services for UK Hydrogen projects and associated activities to agreed project and commercial objectives in line with governance and approved procedures.
• Developing category management expertise in consultation with key stakeholders to identify and promote new procurement opportunities for the business (e.g., new entrants, innovations, cost savings etc.) that generates improved commercial insights and value.
• Using and interpreting market research/market intelligence.
• Identification, pre-qualification and qualification of suppliers.
• Lead on the evaluation of bids and co-ordinating inputs from the wider evaluation team (technical, legal, HSE).
• Negotiation and timely award of high value contracts for goods, works and services in consultation with the wider project team in in accordance with best-value and approved procedures.
• Auditing/reviewing compliance with approved procurement procedures, including participation in key supplier audits (where necessary).
• Performance management of supply chain to drive continuous improvement and optimal performance, including compiling and evaluating periodic procurement KPI reports.
• Managing procurement processes on business systems (e.g., SAP, iValua, HICX) and acting as a single point of reference for your business users.
• Promoting sustainable and ethical procurement in line with EDF RE’s sustainability ambitions.
• Provide support to wider team objectives and technologies in the EDF-RE portfolio, such as business planning, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and procurement systems development.

What do you need to be great at this role?

You’ll have considerable procurement experience coupled with proven ability to conduct successful commercial negotiations with suppliers and be educated to degree level or equivalent, or MCIPS qualified. In addition, you will have:

• A background working on large energy projects with experience of hydrogen projects (with a strong hydrogen supply chain focus) highly desirable.  
• Passion and high energy, with diplomacy and comprehensive style necessary to positively influence JV arrangements.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles of procurement, sourcing and contract management and a proven track record
• Experience of leading and supporting wider team development (e.g. towards CIPS or equivalent qualification(s))
• A minimum of 5 years' experience in the renewables and/or construction industry managing major construction and/or energy projects is desirable.
• Experience in negotiation and commercial administration (incl. cost management) of development and construction contracts.
• Good working knowledge of contract and construction law, health and safety regulations, EU procurement regulations and category management techniques.
• Excellent skills at building successful relationships with external partners, peers, stakeholders and reporting line.
• Good command of Microsoft Office package (MS Excel, MS Word, MS Power Point, etc.) and experience with ERP systems like SAP.
• Flexibility to accommodate some travel around the UK and overseas as the role requires (more below).
• MCIPS qualified (or similar professional qualification)
• Full UK driving licence.
• Excellent (English) oral and written communication skills.

Travel Requirements

The Procurement and Contracts Manager will be required to travel regularly to various locations. This includes:

• Project sites and EDF Offices across the UK (London, Edinburgh, Durham or Cardiff)
• Supplier offices for meetings and negotiations.

Why EDF Renewables?

At EDF Renewables UK & Ireland we’re committed to tackling climate change. Our rapidly growing team of 500 talented people share an ambition to create a net zero future where clean, green, energy powers all our lives.

It’s a huge ambition and time is of the essence if we are to play our full part in meeting the UK and Ireland’s challenging net zero targets. With our unique mix of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, battery storage and green hydrogen we are the UK & Ireland’s most diverse generator of renewable energy.

To achieve our goal of generating a massive 10GW of renewable energy by 2035, we’re working with stakeholders and communities throughout the UK and Ireland to unlock the enormous potential of the low carbon energy sector.

If you’re passionate about tackling climate change to create the cleaner, greener future we all want, we would love you to come join us. 

Join us, and let’s do good together

Closing Date for Applications: 13th January 2025