Director, Supply Chain (PFAS Capital Programs) at Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) is one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5 million people across 9 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands. Essential represents an infrastructure company uniquely positioned to have a powerful impact on improving reliability, quality of life and economic prosperity for all.

Essential Utilities is the parent company overseeing the Aqua America branded water and wastewater business segment and Peoples Natural Gas, a regulated natural gas utility. The company began in Pennsylvania and remains headquartered in Bryn Mawr along with the water utility side of the business, while the natural gas company People’s is headquartered in Pittsburgh. As a premier infrastructure company, Essential Utilities offers a wide array of exciting and challenging career opportunities that support its mission to provide natural resources for life.

As you may know, PFAS contaminants are in the news. These forever chemicals are found in 98% of all matter, including water. Aqua is doing cutting-edge work to remove PFAS contaminants from drinking water. This is a uniquely important opportunity to partner with industry leaders in water engineering & operations and to play a key role in the company’s strategic PFAS work.

We seek a talented, skilled and diverse workforce that values teamwork as well as a steadfast commitment to our customers and to the environment.  

The Position:

• Acts as the one point of contact in Supply Chain for PFAS-related procurement needs, regardless of project location, directly involved with negotiations, contract management, payment structures, supply chain logistics and constraints, and RFP management, in collaboration with legal.

• Conducts successful PFAS supplier negotiations, ensuring favorable cost and business outcomes in clearly outlined supplier and construction services agreements and contracts.

• Develop templates and protocols for procurement and contract management at each stage of the procurement lifecycle.  

• Establishes and promotes the vision, operating model and development plan for Aqua’s PFAS capital program procurement and supply chain functions.

• Works with corporate and state business leaders to establish and implement a cohesive procurement model.

• Establishes and formalizes the PFAS category management function for the procurement of goods and services across Aqua.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent general business acumen and understanding of procurement/sourcing.

• A strong knowledge of A/P, accounting, financial analysis, logistics, business law (specifically contract law), vendor management, inventory/materials management, utility operations (construction, engineering & maintenance) preferred.

• A general knowledge of utility operations including water and/or gas operations is desired.

• Experience in the procurement of capital goods for utility or process plant construction projects.

• Experience with bidding, selection, and contracting for construction services required, including familiarity with design-bid-build, design-build, open-book contracting, etc. to ensure optimal pricing and project delivery.

• A self-starter with the ability to lead a pro-active organization.

• A team player able to work effectively in a team-fostered, multi-tasking environment.       

Skills and Qualifications:

• BA/BS in supply chain management, engineering, business, legal or related field.

• 10+ years’ experience in supply chain management or a similar field.

• 10+ years’ Leadership and mentoring of employees.

• Open to up to 50% travel.

Essential Utilities, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Essential Utilities is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.