Job Description

Strategic Procurement Lead

📍 Tauranga, New Plymouth, Wellington, or Palmerston North

🕐 Permanent - Full or part-time (Flexible / Hybrid)

About the role

• Establish and embed an enterprise framework to procurement and sourcing
• Lead strategic procurement initiatives that improve value, efficiency and risk outcomes
• Build practical templates and guidance that lift capability across the business

As Aotearoa’s second largest electricity and gas distributor, Powerco keeps the lights on and gas flowing to more than a million customers across Te Ika-a-Maui.

We’re looking for an experienced Strategic Procurement Lead to help strengthen procurement discipline, consistency and commercial outcomes across Powerco.

This role sits in Corporate Services within the Legal, Property & Strategic Procurement team, reporting to the Head of Legal. You’ll work closely with leaders and teams across all business units, partnering with senior stakeholders and supporting consistent procurement practices across Powerco.

As Strategic Procurement Lead, you’ll establish and embed an enterprise-wide framework for procurement and sourcing that maximises value, manages commercial and procurement risk, and leverages organisational scale, while still enabling business units to operate efficiently within delegated authority.

This is a senior individual contributor role (no direct reports). You’ll lead through influence, bringing structure where it helps and pragmatism where it matters.

A permanent role with a clear mandate: build the framework, influence the business, and help us get better commercial outcomes across our major activities.

This is not a “run the tenders” role. In this role, you will

• Build and maintain strong relationships across Powerco and champion consistent procurement practices
• Develop and promote an enterprise procurement framework, including fit-for-purpose templates, documentation, processes and guidance
• Provide strategic procurement advice across network and non-network activities
• Support and influence procurement approaches for significant projects, sourcing activities and supplier engagements
• Promote efficient, centralised and proportionate approaches to lower-value purchasing and supplier management
• Contribute to continuous improvement to uplift procurement capability across the organisation

What you’ll bring

You’re a commercially astute procurement leader who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery and influence senior stakeholders without formal authority. You’ll bring:

• Significant experience in procurement, sourcing or commercial roles
• Experience developing and applying enterprise procurement frameworks
• A track record of working across multiple business units and stakeholder groups
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills
• Confidence navigating delegated authorities, governance and risk
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and high professional integrity
• Experience in energy, infrastructure or utilities is desirable (but not essential)

Why this role

• Enterprise-wide scope and the chance to embed a lasting procurement legacy
• High impact work that strengthens value, risk and efficiency outcomes
• A role that blends strategy, influence and practical implementation

Benefits

• Flexibility. We embrace hybrid working so if you’d like to work a few days a week from home, that’s fine by us
• All the usual stuff, but way better – 4% KiwiSaver, ability to buy extra leave, paid volunteer days, great parental leave entitlements, free life and medical insurance
• Excellent opportunities for professional growth
• Working with an amazing, supportive, and fun team – even if we do say so ourselves…

📅 Applications close: Friday 19 June 2026

Our ability to get the best out of people is what sets Powerco apart. We realise that candidates – especially from underrepresented and neurodiverse backgrounds – often won’t apply for roles unless they meet ALL the criteria. We encourage anyone who shares our passion for connecting communities to apply for any role that aligns to your strengths and interests. We will provide a safe space where you can bring your whole self to work and thrive.

If you would benefit from support or adjustments in order to participate equitably in the recruitment process, please phone 0800 769372 or email kiaora@powerco.co.nz