Senior Buyer

Our client is a globally recognised manufacturing business specialising in high-performance alloys and engineered materials used in clean energy, defence, automotive, aerospace, and other advanced technology sectors. As part of their growth strategy, we are expanding our procurement capability and are seeking an experienced Senior Strategic Buyer to play a pivotal role in supporting our manufacturing operations and long-term supply chain resilience.

This is a senior-level position offering the opportunity to influence sourcing strategy across both direct and indirect procurement while working with suppliers and stakeholders across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Role:

TheSenior Strategic Buyer will develop and execute sourcing strategies to secure reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable supplies of raw materials, production equipment, and critical services.

Working closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and senior leadership, you will lead complex commercial negotiations, develop strategic supplier partnerships, manage supply risk, and deliver measurable commercial value

Responsibilities:.

• Develop sourcing strategies for specialist raw materials and critical manufacturing inputs.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with international suppliers.
• Create category strategies that balance cost, quality, sustainability, and security of supply.
• Support supplier qualification and onboarding in partnership with Technical and Quality teams.
• Lead sourcing activities for production equipment, capital projects, MRO, consumables, and business services.
• Negotiate high-value capital equipment purchases, including commercial terms, warranties, delivery, and service agreements.
• Manage international procurement activities, including logistics, payment structures, and supplier compliance.
• Identify alternative suppliers to improve resilience and reduce supply risk.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, contracts, and performance agreements.
• Conduct supplier performance reviews using cost, quality, delivery, and service metrics.
• Drive supplier development initiatives and implement effective risk mitigation plans.
• Monitor commodity markets, pricing trends, and geopolitical developments affecting supply chains.
• Identify cost-saving and value engineering opportunities across procurement spend.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, inventory optimisation, and strategic planning through data-driven analysis.
• Support new product introduction through supplier engagement.
• Collaborate with Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) to align procurement with business demand.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, regulatory requirements, and ethical sourcing standards.
• Maintain procurement data within ERP systems and report on key performance indicators.
• Utilise AI-enabled tools to enhance supplier analysis, market intelligence, reporting, and contract review.

Successful candidate:

You'll be an experienced procurement professional with a strong commercial mindset and a proven ability to develop sourcing strategies, negotiate complex agreements, and build long-term supplier partnerships within a manufacturing or industrial environment.

You will ideally have experience sourcing both direct materials and indirect categories, including capital equipment, and enjoy working collaboratively across multiple business functions

Skills and experience:

• Significant experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or category management within manufacturing, engineering, metals, chemicals, or another industrial sector.
• Strong negotiation skills with experience managing high-value supplier contracts.
• Experience purchasing raw materials, industrial equipment, or capital projects is highly desirable.
• Excellent analytical, commercial, and stakeholder management skills.
• Knowledge of ERP procurement systems and strong Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint capability.
• Experience using AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude to improve procurement analysis and reporting is advantageous.
• Knowledge of specialist metals, advanced manufacturing, or complex supply chains would be benefical

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business, Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline.
• MCIPS qualification (or working towards it) is desirable.
• Approximately 8–12 years' experience in strategic procurement or category management, including experience operating at a senior level.
• Experience negotiating long-term, high-value supplier agreements.
• Strong understanding of supply chain risk management within an international environment.
• Willingness to travel occasionally within Europe and internationally

In return we offer:

• Opportunity to join a growing international manufacturing business at an exciting stage of expansion.
• A strategic, high-impact role with significant autonomy and visibility.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Professional development opportunities within a collaborative, innovative environment.
• The chance to help shape a resilient and sustainable global supply chain supporting next-generation technologies.