National AI Awards 2025Discover AI's trailblazers! Join us to celebrate innovation and nominate industry leaders.

Nominate & Attend

Strategic Buyer

Derby
1 week ago
Create job alert

AMS is a global workforce solutions partner committed to creating inclusive, dynamic, and future-ready workplaces. We help organisations adapt, grow, and thrive in an ever-evolving world by building, shaping, and optimising diverse talent strategies.

Our Contingent Workforce Solution (CWS) is one way we support our clients. Acting as an extension of their recruitment teams, we connect them with skilled interim and temporary professionals, fostering workplaces where everyone can contribute and succeed.

On behalf of our globally respected client who develop cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet the planet's vital power needs we are looking for a Strategic Buyer for a 12 months contract based in Derby. Please note this position is going to be hybrid.

Job description - the role

Purpose of the role:
In this dynamic role, you'll be at the forefront of creating our procurement strategies, selecting top tier suppliers, negotiating optimal deals, finalising contracts, and managing the contracts to ensure a high performing supply chain which is vital to our business performance and overall success.

Our Procurement team plays a critical role in the success of our business - sourcing everything from engine components and aftermarket services to IT systems and catering. We have opportunities across our Aerospace, Aftermarket, and Indirect Procurement teams, with roles focused on both strategic sourcing and in-contract management

What you'll do:

Developing and leading sourcing activities from proposal to contract signature, to include negotiation, performing cost analysis by creating Total Cost or Acquisition/Product Cost Lifecycle Models, and building business cases to select high performing suppliers that meet the client's cost, quality, delivery, sustainability, management, and technology objectives.
Leading contract management, including drafting, negotiating, and finalising agreements with suppliers to ensure compliance and optimise terms.
Managing the process of Identifying, assessing, and mitigating commercial risks
within the supply chain to ensure continuity and resilience.
Working with the relevant functions and stakeholders to lead and contribute to building and maintaining category strategies within the designated category to draw value for the client, whilst keeping up to date with key market trends and technologies.
Managing supplier relationships and in contract supplier management, including supplier performance management, leading cost reduction activities, and resolving commercial issues.The skills you'll need:

A degree in a relevant field or CIPS qualification- with experience of working as a Senior Strategic Buyer in a regulated or complex industry demonstrating strong experience in strategic sourcing as well as managing supplier relationships and in-contract supplier management. You will need to have an understanding of risk
management and building a resilient supply chain.
Proven track record of successful negotiations, coupled with strong commercial and financial skills with an understanding of Total Cost of Acquisition/Product Cost Lifecycles and associated levers/analytics.
Excellent communication, influencing, relationship management skills with focus on drawing value for the company.
Passion to drive change and make a difference combined with ability to solve complex problems, demonstrating digital awareness and analytical capability.
Experience of reviewing and drafting contracts.Next steps

We will only accept workers operating via an Umbrella or PAYE engagement model.

If you are interested in applying for this position and meet the criteria outlined above, please click the link to apply and we will contact you with an update in due course.

AMS, a Recruitment Process Outsourcing Company, may in the delivery of some of its services be deemed to operate as an Employment Agency or an Employment Business

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Strategic Buyer

new facilities and equipment engineer

Senior Buyer

Buyer

Buyer

Purchasing Team Leader

National AI Awards 2025

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How to Find Hidden Space Jobs in the UK Using Professional Bodies like the RAeS, UKSpace & More

The UK space sector is enjoying rapid growth—driven by satellite constellations, launch services, Earth observation, space science, and defence applications. But while demand for engineers, scientists, mission designers, and space analysts is high, many of the most compelling roles are never advertised publicly. Instead, these opportunities are often filled through professional networks, working groups, innovation clusters, and academic-industry partnerships. This guide will show you how to access hidden UK space jobs by engaging with bodies like the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), UKSpace, British Interplanetary Society (BIS), and regional space clusters. By leveraging membership directories, special-interest groups (SIGs), CPD events, and funded projects, you can position yourself to be first in line—even before roles are posted.

How to Get a Better Space Sector Job After a Lay-Off or Redundancy

Being made redundant from a role in the UK space sector can be disheartening. Whether your work was tied to satellite design, launch services, ground systems, mission operations, or Earth observation analytics, the experience and specialist knowledge you've gained is still highly valuable. The UK government’s Space Strategy, increased commercial investment, and new launch initiatives across Cornwall, Scotland, and Wales continue to drive opportunities in upstream and downstream space technologies. This guide will help you relaunch your career in the UK space sector after redundancy.

UK Space Jobs Salary Calculator 2025: Work Out Your Market Value in Seconds

Why last year’s pay survey already misfires for UK space talent Ask a Satellite Systems Engineer wrestling with RF budgets, a Mission Operations Analyst shepherding cubesats at 04:00 UTC, or a Launch Vehicle Propulsion Engineer machining ablative liners in Cornwall: “Am I earning what I deserve?” The honest answer drifts faster than orbital debris. Since early 2024 the UK Space Agency released £1.6 billion of National Space Strategy funding, SaxaVord’s spaceport edged toward its first vertical launch licence, and Harwell Campus welcomed three VC‑fuelled in‑orbit‑servicing start‑ups. Each headline ratcheted hiring demand—and salaries. A salary guide printed in 2024 is already as dated as a Block II GPS ephemeris: no mention of the Scottish micro‑launcher premium, the AI‑earth‑observation bubble, or the sudden scarcity of flight‑dynamics controllers who can wrangle multi‑constellation mega‑swarms. To replace guesswork with data, UKSpaceJobs.co.uk distilled a clear, three‑factor formula. Feed in your discipline, UK region & seniority; you’ll get a realistic 2025 baseline—no stale averages, no vague “competitive” claims. This article unpacks the formula, explores the forces inflating space salaries, and sets out concrete steps to boost your value within ninety days.