Category Procurement Manager - BESS

We are Lightsource bp – and we’re on a mission to become a global leader in onshore renewables, anchored by our proven track record in solar development.

For over a decade we’ve been actively working to diversify the way our world is powered with sustainable and responsible renewable power. We work to safely deliver affordable, reliable, large-scale onshore renewable and energy storage solutions to help the world decarbonise.

Our growing business is constantly innovating and investing to help drive the energy transition. Our people and projects are focused on supporting long-term sustainable growth and energy security.

Lightsource bp operates with five core values: Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability, and Drive. We seek to attract and hire individuals who share our commitment to creating a safe workplace, uphold the highest standards of integrity, and demonstrate respect for colleagues, communities, and the environment. Our recruitment process promotes sustainability by valuing long-term growth and responsible practices, while seeking candidates with the drive to innovate and lead in the global energy transition. Together, these values shape how we engage, assess, and welcome talent to join us in delivering transformational solar power solutions worldwide. 

Lightsource bp was fully acquired by bp in 2024.

What You’ll do (the role)

SUMMARY

The Category Procurement Manager, BESS (EMEA) will collaborate with procurement leadership and multidisciplinary project teams to procure services, materials, and equipment supporting successful BESS and if required PV and Wind projects across the EMEA region. You will play a pivotal role in executing the global and regional procurement strategies, maximizing value from local and international supply chains, and ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to quality standards.

The role in LSbp’s global sourcing and procurement strategy development and implementation is to enable growth, profitability and operational excellence of the company by maximizing the value from global and local supply bases, developing mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with suppliers, and supporting project execution of global projects by ensuring on budget, on time and on quality deliveries.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES

• Update and implement category strategy for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) including battery cells, power conversion systems (PCS), and energy management systems (EMS), in cooperation with other relevant category managers.
• Develop and execute contracting strategies tailored to EMEA BESS market, including targets on pricing, delivery, service, and quality that reflect global supplier landscapes.
• Generate regular reports on category performance, market insights, price and technology development forecasts, and assist in the project budget development, investment decision processes and application of regional incentives such as EU funding mechanisms or national renewable subsidies.
• Identify new suppliers for BESS and manage the prequalification process.
• Identify potential risks and vulnerabilities within the supply chain, develop mitigation strategies, and establish contingency plans to ensure supply chain resilience.
• Manage RFP processes, supplier selection based on maximum long-term value including price, technical performance and risk factors (such as quality, delivery, reliability, financial stability, HSE, compliance) to choose partners that offer best overall value for the project.
• Negotiate supply contracts for BESS systems and if required other power generation and transmission equipment contracts considering project requirements, legal, regulatory and commercial conditions.
• Lead cross-functional teams during procurement process including legal, insurance, finance, development, operations, and technical experts to ensure aligned contract development and negotiation with appropriate terms and risk allocation.
• Provide regular procurement and project status reports, track deliveries and expedite logistics considering regional import/export requirements, customs regulations, and local infrastructure variability.
• Facilitate NDAs, Letters of Intent, MOUs and Purchase Orders respecting local business requirements and regulatory compliance.

Who we’re looking for

KNOWLEDGE

• Strong understanding of renewable energy project procurement requirements within the EMEA region, BESS experience is preferred. 
• Proven ability to develop procurement and supply chain strategies.
• Demonstrated experience in supplier selection, contract negotiations, contract execution and supplier relationship management.
• Ability to ask appropriate questions, analyze data, identify the root causes of problems, and present creative solutions.
• Knowledge of construction and renewable energy regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices as applied within the EMEA region
• Familiarity with BESS equipment suppliers, contractors, and BESS projects procurement practices specific to EMEA.
• Technical understanding of BESS equipment, PV modules and HV equipment is preferred.
• Project management and financial analysis knowledge considering project economic factors and regulatory environment.

SKILLS

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills tailored for multicultural and multilingual environments.
• Strong presentation skills to effectively communicate recommendations to internal and external stakeholders and senior management.
• Strong organizational capabilities with keen attention to diverse regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Relationship-building skills to efficiently engage with suppliers and internal teams across the EMEA region.
• Experience in procurement of power generation construction projects.
• Ambition to contribute within an agile international team, who can work both independently to complete tasks and respond to requests, as well as collaborate with others to utilize resources and knowledge of others in identifying solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Fluency in English is essential; proficiency in additional regional languages is highly desirable.
• Willingness and ability to travel within the EMEA region (up to 20-30%) for office locations, sites, conferences, and supplier meetings.
• Familiarity with regional software tools and platforms equivalent to Microsoft Office for documentation and reporting

EXPERIENCE

• Business experience of >5 years in procurement / supply chain
• 10-12+ professional years with 5-7 years in a similar role preferred
• Utility-scale experience 200-1000MW, large projects, battery storage, substations & high voltage
• Experience in supporting multi-functional projects in an international work environment with remote locations
• Proven track record in the solar PV and BESS industries, including multi-year framework agreements

Why you’ll want to work for us

Our company is a place where you can be yourself and grow, a place where your ideas and opinions matter.

Be you: We pride ourselves on being an inclusive community, where every individual is valued and treated with respect.

Be responsible: Our culture is driven by our core values – from operating safely to ensuring our projects are responsible. 

Be recognized: Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a variety of benefits including annual bonus, retention bank, health insurance, pension and other local benefits.

Be inspired: Beyond your day-to-day working life at Lightsource bp, there’s a variety of initiatives that will contribute to your own personal development. These include our charitable causes, supporting our solar honey project, or volunteering on our VIBES committee to name a few.

Our core values: Lightsource bp truly cares about creating a sustainable future through safe, responsible and meaningful low carbon energy projects. Our core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability and Drive are the guiding principles for everything we do. 

For further information on our career opportunities and life at Lightsource bp, please visit https://www.lightsourcebp.com/careers/