Senior Plant Controller
The Role
The Senior Plant Controller is responsible for the end-to-end coordination of external plant and equipment requisitions, ensuring safe, compliant, and cost-effective solutions that support project delivery across the business. The role acts as the operational anchor for plant procurement activity, combining practical understanding of plant and equipment with strong commercial awareness, quality focus, and the confidence to support improvement initiatives and working groups when required. The Senior Plant Controller supports the wider plant, procurement, supply chain, HSEQ, and sustainability agendas by providing accurate information, operational insight, and proactive engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Manage the full lifecycle of external plant and equipment requisitions, ensuring safe, compliant, and cost-effective solutions in line with company policy across all operational sectors.
Take ownership of allocated requisitions from start to finish, including supplier selection from approved lists, evaluation of quotations, negotiation of prices and logistics, and raising purchase orders.
Provide timely commercial feedback to internal stakeholders, including estimating, project teams and site personnel, to support informed decision-making.
Ensure all high-risk plant stipulations are adhered to, and that plant orders and associated documentation are filed accurately and in accordance with governance requirements.
Liaise daily with suppliers to ensure all deliveries are made on time and in full, resolving issues promptly to protect project delivery.
Communicate with project teams to confirm plant and equipment requirements in line with procurement schedules and contract programmes.
Manage the External Hire inbox, allocate requisitions appropriately, and maintain regular communication with team members to address any issues that may impact plant delivery.
Support internal business needs by providing commercial and product awareness throughout the construction process, ensuring alignment with major programme requirements.
Consider environmental performance, fuel efficiency, and low emission alternatives when selecting plant, supporting the company's sustainability objectives.
Support improvement initiatives and working groups as required, providing operational feedback and insight where plant-related input is beneficial.
Proactively identify market trends, product developments, and supply chain innovations through engagement with external partners, supporting the Procurement Manager on specific commodities or categories as directed.
Support the Procurement Manager in training and developing other members of the Procurement and Plant teams.
Provide operational insight that supports procurement, supply chain, HSEQ, and sustainability teams in category development, supplier performance reviews, and continuous improvement.
Administrative Responsibilities
Maintain accurate order and supply chain records using the company's purchase order system and associated procedures.
Provide reports, data, and other information required by the Procurement Manager to support departmental and wider business needs, including KPI reporting.
Submit detailed Tender Analysis Reports to procurement and project teams for approval in line with governance requirements.
Provide evidence of best value through commercial betterment, quality improvements, and efficiency gains.
Demonstrate effective supply chain engagement, including performance management activities aligned with company objectives.
Maintain accurate documentation to support sustainability reporting, compliance audits, and supplier performance reviews.
About you
Essential
Experienced in supervising a team and liaising with the Operational Procurement Mgr.
Background within Plant management, ideally in the civil engineering or construction sectors, with an understanding of CPA plant contracts.
Desirable
Procurement experience in procuring Plant against Client Frameworks and Preferred Supply base, principally in the Water Utilities sector.
Please contact Harry Sharrard in the Birmingham office on (phone number removed)