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About the company

SA Water is a successful, modern water utility wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. We employ more than 1,700 people across a broad range of disciplines who operate more than $14 billion worth of infrastructure to deliver essential water and sewerage services to more than 1.8 million South Australians.

We operate in a geographically and climatically diverse service area, with sites and locations from Ceduna through to Port Augusta, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, across to the Riverland, down to Mount Gambier, and most places in between.

Our strength and expertise have been shaped by our history. For more than 165 years, South Australians have depended on us to innovate and deliver efficient and sustainable water services. With nationally and internationally recognised industry expertise, we’re focused on understanding and meeting our customers’ expectations.

As well as safely delivering smart and reliable services for our customers of today, we innovate to shape the water solutions of the future that will support thriving economies and healthy communities.

We are driven by our values; we value our people, we do work that matters, we keep it real, we know that our work has impact and we are future focussed. Staying true to our values ensures that we consistently deliver positive outcomes for all South Australians.

About Our Supply Chain Team

Our Supply Chain team is award winning, taking out the Procurement Team of the Year – Large Organisation award at the 2024 Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Awards Australia and New Zealand. These awards are an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the best work and teams in the procurement profession. 

This team award recognises high performing procurement teams who have made significant improvements to their performance and culture resulting in increased effectiveness, influence, efficiencies, savings or competitive advantage.

To find out more about our Supply Chain team and how we work visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kvFHtOzry4.

About the job

Reporting to the and Manager Supply Chain Insights & Excellence, you will provide leadership to the Category Support Team, which includes Senior Category Support Officers and the Category & Inventory Analysts. You will set strategic direction while also overseeing day to day operations, ensuring procurement, reporting, and Inventory management activities are compliant, customer focused and aligned to SA Water’s strategy and legislative obligations.

You will partner closely with Category Management teams and stakeholders across the business, providing expert advice, driving continuous improvement and leveraging data insights to deliver value for money and improved business outcomes.

About the person

You are a confident people leader with strong procurement and analytical capability, able to balance strategic thinking with hands on delivery. You communicate effectively, build strong relationships and are comfortable working autonomously in a complex environment.

About Business Insights and Excellence

The Business Insights and Excellence group drives operational excellence by enabling best business financial practices, economic pricing, supply chain management, and corporate governance and risk management to support the broader business and partners in delivering reliable, cost-effective, sustainable, and future-focused outcomes.

Your responsibilities for this opportunity

Fostering trust with our people, customers and community by providing expert advice and service that ensure we effectively communicate and engage audiences with our business strategy and its delivery across South Australia, every day.

You will:

• Lead, develop and motivate a high performing Category Support Team, fostering a culture of service excellence, safety and continuous improvement
• Manage risk-based procurement activities across multiple categories, acting as an escalation point for complex or sensitive matters
• Set strategic direction for supply chain data analytics and oversee delivery of high-quality reporting and insights
• Drive inventory optimisation, cost control and effective use of ERP systems (Ellipse or similar)
• Provide specialist procurement advice and ensure compliance with government policy, legislation and SA Water frameworks
• Oversee contract execution, supplier performance, negotiations and issue resolution
• Contribute to Supply Chain business planning, key initiatives and achievement of annual savings targets
• Build strong, trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers and government partners

Your success in this role will come from:

• A tertiary qualification in business, commerce, finance, economics, procurement, logistics or data analytics, or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated experience in procurement, including sourcing, contracting, supplier negotiation and risk-based procurement.
• Proven people leadership experience with a focus on capability development and performance management
• Strong analytical, research and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering outcomes to tight timeframes
• Experience with data analytics and ERP systems

Further information can be found in the attached PD- Category Support Team Leader-PD.pdf

To apply, click 'Apply'. Please submit and complete the application form, upload a cover letter and current resume. For enquiries, please contact Tracy from the Talent Acquisition team tracy.rayan@sawater.com.au

Applications close 4pm, 9 April 2026

A great customer experience is best achieved by having a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the community we serve. Applications are encouraged from everyone, including people living with disability, job seekers of all ages, members of the LGBTQA+ community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Our Industry is like no other. Dive into the wonderful world of water and explore the boundless opportunities. Learn more about the water industry at careersinwater.com.au

Please note: We request that recruitment agencies do not submit candidates for this position, as they will not be accepted.