Procurement
“There were two things that were really brilliant on the graduate programme for me; one was the breadth of experience that I was able to build really, really quickly… the other was the support framework – from HR, the [senior manager] mentor relationship, and managers you get allocated.”
Chris – Head of Operations, Shared Services and Supplier Management. Graduate Programme 1999 – 2011Our Procurement division acquires 3rd Party goods and services, in the process collaborating with every part of the business to understand their needs. They also work closely with hundreds of external suppliers, ensuring we get best value for the money we spend while not in any way jeopardising Group or divisional operations.
The team are involved in procuring car fleet services, professional services, furniture, travel tickets, IT software / hardware, temporary labour and building maintenance – to name but a few! At any one time they can be responsible for commercial agreements running into the millions of pounds, so it’s essential to get it right. It’s also important to develop innovative approaches to acquiring the best goods and services at the best prices – an example of this is the fact that the team run e-auctions for products that have a multitude of potential suppliers.
Graduates
The Procurement graduate programme will enable you to get involved in driving contract negotiations and sourcing new suppliers for a vast range of products and services. It’s a two-year programme that will see you undertake three placements: one in Procurement Operations and the other two in our Procurement Sourcing functions.
Your role could include any number of tasks, from purchasing the resources we need to deliver our core banking replacement programme, mobile banking initiatives and internet banking activities, to helping the business select the creative agencies who will run our marketing campaigns. You’ll also manage our third party suppliers to ensure that the services and products provided are to agreed standards.
Whichever part of Procurement you find yourself in, you’ll work with key business stakeholders and suppliers to source the best products and services. You’ll also receive comprehensive training and be actively encouraged to gain a Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply qualification, for which we will aim to provide financial support. Over time you may become specialised in a particular spend category – and therefore provide a consultancy service that helps shape Nationwide’s operating models – or you could become a business leader with a focus on people management. The choice is yours.
Requirements
To join, you’ll need a 2:1 degree in any discipline and 260 UCAS points (excluding general studies) or the equivalent
Highly organised and with excellent communication skills, you’ll be the type of person who can build strong working relationships with people at all levels.
