Planner/Buyer in Construction, Engineering & Storage Procurement
NW NaturalPlanner/Buyer in Construction, Engineering & Storage Procurement
Non-Union Position
Purchasing Staff; Portland, Oregon (US-OR)
Hybrid schedule available for Oregon & Washington residents.
Regular FT, Exempt
Posting # 5757
About Us:
At NW Natural, we offer more than rewarding career opportunities and a vibrant, inclusive work culture. We invite you to join us in providing safe and reliable u
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tility services and renewable energy to better the lives of the communities we serve. Our vision is to be the leader in service excellence, innovation and environmental stewardship for our customers, while building on our strengths as a trusted energy provider and environmental leader for our industry.
In addition to environmental stewardship, we’re also deeply committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NW Natural. Our DEI Council started 21 years ago, and today we continue to foster a culture where all employees can experience a sense of belonging, shared purpose and possibility.
NOTE:
This hybrid position is based at our headquarters in downtown Portland, Oregon. Candidates must reside within commuting distance of the office or be willing to relocate to the Portland metropolitan area. Employees are required to work onsite Tuesdays through Thursdays each week, with remote work flexibility on Mondays and Fridays, subject to business needs. This schedule supports collaboration, connection, and team engagement while providing flexibility for focused remote work.
Position Summary:
A Planner/Buyer sources, negotiates, and buys the materials, equipment, and contracted services that support NW Natural's construction, engineering, gas storage, LNG, and compressor station work. Working closely with project managers, engineers, operations, Legal, and Risk, this role manages competitive sourcing events, supplier contracts, and purchase orders from intake through closeout. The position helps both capital and O&M projects get the right goods and services at the right time and at the best total value, while following NW Natural's procurement policies, safety requirements, and internal controls.
This is a split-level posting for a Planner/Buyer 1, 2, or 3. The level of hire will be based on the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, measured against NW Natural's job leveling guidelines. Scope, complexity, dollar value, and independence increase at each level, as described under Responsibilities by Level and Qualifications.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
All levels perform the following core duties. Level 1 performs them on routine, lower-risk work under close guidance; Level 2 performs them independently on moderately complex work; and Level 3 leads them on the most complex, high-value, and high-risk work.
• Reviews purchase requisitions for completeness, accuracy, accounting, and approval authority; creates, issues, changes, and closes standard and framework purchase orders in SAP S/4HANA within timelines that meet stakeholder expectations.
• Plans and conducts competitive sourcing events (RFI, RFP, RFQ) in SAP Ariba, including scope-of-work development with stakeholders, specification review, bidder lists, evaluation scorecards, bidder questions, bid walks, bid analysis, and award recommendations.
• Negotiates pricing, delivery, payment terms, and commercial terms with suppliers and contractors; documents sourcing decisions, including Competitive Assessment Memos (CAMs) for non-competitive purchases.
• Partners with Legal and other internal stakeholders to negotiate and finalize contracts, agreements, and NDAs, including supplier agreements (for example, master services, master construction, and goods/services terms), coordinating redlines and exceptions with Legal and Risk/Insurance.
• Checks supplier qualifications and compliance before award, including safety prequalification, financial risk, certificates of insurance, and new-vendor setup; supports the onboarding and management of emerging suppliers through effective con