Purchasing Specialist

There's No Us Without U. Care with Us, for Today and Tomorrow

There's no life without water, and at Urban Utilities, we live and breathe that knowledge every single day. It's why our people are so passionate about what they do and how they do it. And it's why we need people like YOU. Come shape our future with us and make a real and lasting impact across our teams.

The opportunity

The Corporate and Finance Group have an exciting new role available for an experienced Purchasing Specialist to join their team. The Corporate and Finance Group contributes to Urban Utilities' purpose and vision through championing, safeguarding, and driving customer, community and shareholder value.  
 
The Procurement & Supply Chain Team partners with our stakeholders to shape, create, and protect value by leading the planning and delivery of sustainable, integrated supply solutions. Our key services include category and strategy planning, sourcing, procure-to-pay, logistics, contract management, and supplier relationship management. We are dedicated to ensuring efficient, effective, and responsible procurement and supply chain operations that drive long-term success and sustainability.

The Purchasing Specialist is responsible for facilitating efficient procurement operations by buying, requisitioning, and supplier onboarding for goods and services; analysing market dynamics and identifying innovative suppliers. The role closely collaborates with stakeholders across the business to define clear business requirements and manage data analysis for informed decision-making. The Purchasing Specialist mitigates procurement risks through effective risk management strategies, including undertaking supplier due diligence and contributes to enhancing supplier relationships. They further ensure compliance with procurement policies and optimise document management processes to support seamless operations and achieve organisational objectives effectively. This role requires a strategic thinker with a keen eye for detail and a proven ability to optimize purchasing operations.

About you:

• Certification, demonstrating professional competence in procurement and supply management, is beneficial.

• 1-2 years' experience in purchasing within a medium to large size business.

• Collection and analysis of data on key cost drivers, market dynamics, and industry issues to inform procurement decisions.

• Negotiation with suppliers to secure favourable terms, pricing, and delivery schedules for procurement activities.

• Placement of purchase orders accurately and efficiently ensuring timely procurement of goods and services.

• Monitoring of inventory levels and collaboration with internal stakeholders to forecast purchasing needs.

• Maintaining accurate records of purchases, supplier agreements, and procurement activities.

• Identifying and evaluating areas of innovation and alternative suppliers to optimise procurement strategies.

• Supporting risk management activities by identifying and mitigating procurement risks and issues.

• Conducting stakeholder engagement activities to address stakeholder needs and maintain positive relationships.

• Managing supplier relationships by maintaining regular communication and addressing performance issues.

• Assisting in baseline assessments and post-implementation analyses to measure and track procurement benefits.

• Proficiency using business systems including ERP, Source to Pay systems and the Microsoft Suite (incl. Word, Excel & PowerPoint).

Other Requirements

• Performance of 'on call' duties are an inherent requirement of this role. This requires that the employee must be available to be on-call and to attend to work matters, both in person and remotely, outside of normal working hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, as reasonably required to fulfill the requirements of the position. The days, times, duration and frequency of on call arrangements may be subject to change, including at short notice, as required by Urban Utilities' operational needs as applying from time to time. At all times whilst on-call, you must be fit for duty, contactable, and able to respond, including the ability to physically attend if required, to the operational needs of the business within a reasonable timeframe and in a safe manner.

• The requirement to undertake 'on call duties' arises from the critical nature of the role including key responsibilities for ensuring the continuity of essential water and wastewater services on a 24 hour 7 days per week basis to customers and the community across Urban Utilities' geographic area in performing functions as a distributor-retailer under the South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring Act 2009 (Qld) . The remuneration for the role has been calculated to include compensation for the requirement to remain available to perform work during on call periods and for the performance of work outside the ordinary hours of work as part of on call processes and otherwise. In some instances, additional compensation and remuneration may apply.

At UU, we celebrate diversity. We genuinely believe that bringing together diversity of thoughts, perspectives and expressions is key and crucial to our success as a business. You might find you meet some, but not all, of the job requirements for this role. We'd still encourage you to apply as we we're looking for the right human being for this role - it's about so much more than ticking all the boxes

Why Urban Utilities?

At Urban Utilities, the work we do is about so much more than the bottom line. We're a leading provider of world-class drinking water and wastewater services to the vibrant communities of Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, and Scenic Rim. As we continue to grow, we're committed to planning ahead and shaping a sustainable future around water for generations to come.

At the core of our work lies genuine care: for our team, our customers, communities, and the environment. From the flush of a toilet to major infrastructure projects and residential developments, we're dedicated to being there every step of the way.

Our HQ is in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, but you'll find us all over SEQ - working in cool places like the SAS Laboratory in Darra, field-based depots in Eagle Farm, Acacia Ridge, Bundamba, and wastewater treatment plants dotted across the region.

We know the chance to thrive, and progress comes hand in hand with the support to balance work with life. So, you'll access an increasingly diverse range of benefits and initiatives that'll help you bring the best you.  Speaking of which, here's just a sample of the benefits we offer our team:

• Generous Salary Packaging options, including novated leases

• Corporate discounts across Health insurance, technology and more

• 18 weeks of paid parental leave, 15 days personal leave including two proactive wellbeing days, and an additional day of leave each year to connect with friends and family 

• Flexibility at UU depends on the type of work you do but could include options such as, 9-day fortnights and flexible days. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you

Urban Utilities is an endorsed employer for all women. See our range of benefits and policies directly at WORK180

Visit our website to learn more about us at

How to apply

Click on the 'Apply" to complete your application.

Please note: applicants will be required to undergo a Pre-employment medical, which may include Drug and Alcohol testing, as well as other background checks as part of the recruitment process for this role.

For further information please contact our friendly Talent Team at

Our Talent team & Hiring Managers kindly request that no unsolicited CVs are sent for this role.