Procurement Manager - Technology

Role OVO-View

Location: Hub based! Bristol or London

But you have the flexibility to work wherever suits you best

Team: Procurement & Supplier Management (Finance) 

Salary banding:  £55,000 - £65,000

Experience: Manager

Working pattern: Full-Time

Reporting to: John Hawkins - Senior Procurement Manager, Technology 

Sponsorship: Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

This role in 3 words: Driving, Relationships, Commercial

Top 3 qualities for this role: Influence, Self-Solving, Commercial

In the words of the team, you should leave your current role for this one because….

“OVO is a fantastic place to work. The company really cares for its people which makes you want to go the extra mile. There is a reason we won Times best place to work! The Procurement & Supplier Management team are on a really exciting journey and it's not every day you get the ability to actively participate in a Procurement transformation! OVO felt like home to me after just 2 weeks and I put that down to having such a great team around me”

Everyone belongs at OVO

At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity's biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That's why we need diverse people from all gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences and backgrounds to join us.

Teamworking for the planet

Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you’ll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen. Here’s how:

As an enterprise business OVO’s supply chain presents large risk but great opportunity when it comes to sustainability and wider ESG initiatives. Procurement & Supply Management play a vital role when contributing to OVOs wider Plan Zero aspirations ensuring we’re working with the right partners and managing risks appropriately.

This role in a nutshell:

We’re hiring for the best of the best in the world of Procurement! A Procurement transformation is never simple but the rewards are huge. We need talented, driven self starters who know what good looks like and how to get there. We have an extremely ambitious strategy to be recognised as a leading function in the Procurement industry winning awards and experimenting with cutting edge technologies that give us the edge over our competition, such as incorporation of AI. We’re investing in an exciting training programme (our Procurement DNA) to provide a fantastic foundational capability at all levels and will be recognised across the business for value generation beyond tactical cost savings. Our journey is just getting started so come and be part of something great!

Reporting to the Senior Procurement Manager for Technology, you’ll be part of the Procurement team responsible for supporting change, delivering results and setting the bar for ‘what good looks like’ across the team and management level and below.

Buying goods or services is an essential part of OVO’s business. It enables us to deliver a whole range of products to our customers from marketing campaigns, smart meters and everything in between.

The Procurement Team's objectives are:

• Driving aggressive commercial benefits to support OVOs EBITDA targets
• Getting the Procurement basics right, reducing risks and driving compliance whilst still allowing OVO to operate in an agile manner
• Procuring goods and services in a sustainable manner wherever possible, aligning to OVO’s Plan Zero
• Becoming a knowledge base of relevant supply markets, products, technologies and trends and bringing this back into our business
• Continuously striving for improvements in commercial value, process efficiency and risk mitigation
• Effectively business partnering with our internal colleagues
• Supporting in the implementation of procurement systems that underpin the execution of opportunities whilst reducing risk and improving compliance

Your key outcomes will be: 

You will be responsible for supporting the sourcing strategy and plan across Technology (connectivity & telco, data services, hardware, hosting and infrastructure, software & applications, technology services). You will be delivering exceptional stakeholder management to Senior Managers and Heads of Department under the Chief Product and Technology officer, aligning the supply chain to the business strategy and objectives. 

Adopting a Category Management approach you will be supporting the development of appropriate category strategies which de-risk OVOs market exposure and drive maximum potential value. 

In addition you will be responsible for:

• Using data to build and keep updated a clear view of category spend and suppliers (taxonomy driven)
• Supporting category savings opportunity analysis and future pipeline initiatives
• Delivering savings that contribute towards the OVO procurement team objectives and impact OVO’s EBITDA
• Executing on regular RFx exercises, leading by example and guiding the business through the process via strong project management practices
• Collaborative development of negotiation plans bringing stakeholders in where appropriate
• Leading on material commercial initiatives and presenting these to the C-suite in line with OVO’s delegation of authority matrix
• Working closely with the Supplier Management team to implement effective supplier management strategies
• Ensuring relevant OVO stakeholders are aligned (and are adhering to) the procurement policy and process monitoring and reporting on compliance
• Continuously striving for improvements in commercial value, process improvement and risk mitigation
• Contributing towards continuous improvement of Procurement ways of working ( tools, process, customer journey) whilst managing change with OVO stakeholders
• Supporting OVOs Plan Zero objectives and demonstrating how your sourcing exercises contribute to the overall strategy

You’ll be a successful Procurement Manager, Tech here at OVO if you…

• Are able to sell and promote the benefits of Procurement to Technology stakeholders and peers
• Are an inquisitive self starter who is able to hold themselves accountable for their own output
• Possess at least 3 years experience in a similar procurement role with a demonstrable understanding of technology operations in an enterprise business
• Are a successful negotiator with a proven track record of delivering material commercial benefits
• Are customer service obsessed, adopting a business partnering approach
• Can demonstrate ‘best in class’ Procurement Management, setting a benchmark at your level and an aspiration for junior members of the team (Senior Buyers). 
• Analytical, able to effectively source and manipulate data, turning it into meaningful outputs
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence and awareness (EQ)
• Have comprehensive sourcing experience across key Technology subcategories 
• Are comfortable proposing, initiating and implementing change in a rapidly changing environment
• Possess strong story-telling, relationship building and conflict resolution skills 
• Have good knowledge of Procurement e-sourcing tools (we use Workday Strategic Sourcing)
• Are team-oriented with a collaborative, pragmatic approach
• Are CIPS qualified or working towards this (desirable)
• Exposure to the energy sector is desirable but not essential

You won’t like this role if you…

• Are uncomfortable leading on initiatives with high corporate exposure (c-suite)
• Are unable to effectively and reasonably challenge the status quo
• Are uncomfortable giving and receiving constructive feedback (radical candor)
• Do not possess strong technical understanding of Procurement best practice
• Are unable to work effectively across a wider team and influence multiple stakeholders constructively
• Do not possess strong commercial acumen and an eye for a deal
• Are unable to effectively sell and promote the benefits of Procurement to your colleagues and peers

Let’s talk about what’s in it for you

We’ll pay you between £55,000 and £65,000, depending on your specific skills and experience. If your expectations are a little different, have a chat with us!

We keep our pay ranges broad on purpose to give us, and you, flexibility to match your experience to our zero carbon mission.

You’ll be eligible for an on-target bonus of 15%. We have one OVO bonus plan that focuses on the collective performance of our people to deliver our Plan Zero goal. 

We also offer plenty of green benefits and progressive policies to help you feel like you belong at OVO…and there’s flex pay.  It’s an extra 9% of your salary on top of your core pay to use as you like. You can take it as cash, add to your pension, or choose to spend it on a huge range of flex benefits.

Here’s a taster of what’s on offer: 

For starters, you’ll get 34 days of holiday (including bank holidays).

For your health
With benefits like a healthcare cash plan or private medical insurance depending on your career level, critical illness cover, life assurance, health assessments, and more

For your wellbeing
With gym membership, gadget, travel and cyber insurance, workplace ISA, will writing services, DNA testing, dental insurance, and more

For your lifestyle
With extra holiday buying, discount dining, culture cards, tech loans, and supporting your favourite charities with give-as-you-earn donations

For your home 
Get up to £300 off any OVO Energy plan (when you pay by Direct Debit), plus personal carbon offsetting and great discounts on smart thermostats and EV chargers

For your commute
Nab a great deal on ultra-low emission car leasing, plus our cycle to work scheme and public transport season ticket loans

Want to hear about our full range of flexible benefits and progressive people policies? Our People Team can tell you everything you need to know.

For your Belonging

To find better ways to support our people, we need to listen to each other’s experiences and find ways to build a truly inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of this, we have 8 Belonging Networks at OVO. Led by our people, for our people - so when you join OVO, you can play a part - big or small - with any of the Networks. It's up to you.

Oh, and one last thing...

We’d be thrilled if you tick off all our boxes yet we also believe it’s just as important we tick off all of yours. And if you think you have most of what we’re looking for but not every single thing, go ahead and hit apply. We’d still love to hear from you! If you have any additional requirements, there’s a space to let us know on the application form; we want to make the process as easy and comfortable for you as possible..