Category Specialist - Procurement

• Support procurement for strategic equipment and materials
• Help deliver category and sourcing strategies
• Build supplier and stakeholder relationships

Transpower plans, builds, operates and maintains New Zealands National Grid, enabling the safe and reliable delivery of electricity across Aotearoa. Our core purpose is to empower the energy future for New Zealand a future that delivers a net-zero carbon economy and a reliable and secure electricity system.

About the Team

Within our Corporate Services Division, the Procurement team provides a centre-led procurement function, supporting enterprise outcomes from more than $500m of annual project and programme spend across domestic and international suppliers.

Our focus is on strengthening commercial discipline, consistency, and value across the full lifecycle of delivery models, contracts, and supplier relationships.

The Opportunity

As Category Specialist, your work will support our Strategic Procurement team that is responsible for the sustained delivery of benefits across one of our key spends by supporting the delivery of our category strategies across the Category Management portfolio for strategic equipment and materials.

Working alongside our Senior Category Managers, you will develop procurement strategies, product and procurement plans in implementing procurement activities to ensure long-term commercial and procurement arrangements, manages risk, realises value and the consideration of operability and maintainability in the delivery of strategic equipment and materials for the future purchasing needs of the relevant assets.

In this role, you will:

• engage with stakeholders in understanding requirements in developing and implementing fitforpurpose sourcing and commercial approaches and outcomes.
• lead category procurement and contracting including market analysis, sourcing models and analysis for strategic sourcing and delivery.
• manage supplier contracts to deliver planned outcomes and support longterm sustainability.
• own Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) outcomes for assigned suppliers, providing category insight on supplier risk, performance, and improvement.
• maintain supplier relationships managing performance measures, risk indicators, and value levers to support the Procurement Strategy.
• execute procurement strategies and product plans across the lifecycle (market analysis, sourcing models, reporting, supplier relationships), balancing cost, safety, environment, quality, delivery, operability, and maintainability.
• build technical knowledge of strategic procurement categories within the Transpower and energy sector environment.

The role works closely with the Senior Category Managers, Strategic Procurement Manager, Supplier Relationship Specialist and Procurement Services to ensure consistency of frameworks, capability uplift and commercial standards across the function.

What will you bring?

With proven experience providing robust specialist procurement support, for various end to end procurements across the Strategic Procurement Categories, you will be adept at developing positive relationships with strategic suppliers and key stakeholders - measuring, monitoring and analysing the overall performance of suppliers.

With a sound understanding of the principles of procurement including Sourcing, Category and Demand Management, your wider skills, knowledge and experience will include:

• category management reporting to demonstrate savings, cost mitigation, potential opportunities and identify risks and challenges.
• proven ability to develop an understanding of buying and contracting needs within a scaled corporate organisation.
• experience writing and obtaining approval for Procurement Plans, RFX documentation and Evaluation Recommendation Reports.
• excellent analytical and critical thinking skills including the ability to extract, analyse, and use data to create businesss cases and executive level presentations.
• highly effective communication, engagement and relationship skills, including building key relationships, advocacy and influencing (including with international suppliers).
• excellent co-ordination / administrative skills with demonstrable experience using the Microsoft office package suite.
• competence / demonstrable experience supporting multiple procurements at any one time.
• a sound understanding of the principles of procurement including sourcing, category and demand management.

While not essential an understanding of and experience with Government Procurement Rules and probity and direct commercial and procurement experience in the Electricity Transmission, Construction or IT sectors including project delivery and maintenance would be advantageous.

Why join Transpower

At Transpower, the work you do matters. Were responsible for the electricity transmission network that underpins everyday life across Aotearoa, and our people play a critical role in enabling a safe, reliable and resilient energy system.

Youll join a supportive, collaborative environment where expertise is valued, and people are trusted to make an impact. We offer flexible working arrangements, opportunities to grow your capability, and the chance to work on complex, nationally significant infrastructure challenges.

Were committed to inclusion and diversity and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experience.

Learn more about working at Transpower here: Transpower - A great place to work.

Applications close: Tuesday 2 nd June 2026, however well begin reviewing applications as theyre received and may progress suitable candidates before the closing date.

Please note that you must have the right to work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.

For further information, please review the position description on our careers website and apply.