
Senior Buyer (Indirect / Direct Procurement)
- Ampthill, Bedfordshire
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Proven experience as a Senior Buyer / Senior Procurement Officer or related role
- Must evidence Indirect and Direct procurement experience
- Excellent understanding of procurement best practice.
- Excellent commercial skills with the ability to analyse and negotiate best-value agreements.
- Knowledge of strategic sourcing and advanced procurement techniques/tools.
- Excellent commercial skills with the ability to analyse and negotiate best-value agreements.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to effectively manage stakeholders' expectations at a variety of levels.
- Data literate with strong analytical skills.
- Highly motivated, determined, and committed individual with a proven record of achieving cost saving targets/objectives.
- Individual who thrives on challenges, and has experience working within a fast paced procurement function or similar environment.
- Direct experience of the management of tactical supplier relationships.
- Understanding of related disciplines/departments within a design and manufacturing environment.
- Contract management skills
- Ability to work assignments under general direction, independently determining and developing approaches to solutions.
- Proficient in the use of MS Office applications.
- Flexibility to travel as required.
- Experience in high value CAPEX procurements (Machinery procurement experience preferred)
- Experience of tendering and managing complex service contracts (hard and soft services)
- Experience of small building works
- Mechanical (fabrications/machined items) and Electrical (box-build, cables, components) buying experience
- Supply chain experience in the defence environment
- Experience in the various phases of the product lifecycle from proposal capture, programme start-up, development, production, sustainment and end-of-life
- Flexibility to work at different levels of sub contract complexity (off the shelf, build to print, MOTs, and design to specification)
- Knowledge of SAP ERP system
- Bachelors' degree in a business/scientific/technical discipline
- Knowledge/experience of process improvement methodologies
- CIPS or working towards CIPS
- Undertaking the procurement process including issuing RFQ's, Invitation to Tender, Terms and Conditions, negotiations, bid evaluations, and award of contract .
- Holding a procurement delegation and signing supplier agreements and purchase orders within this limit.
- Negotiating with suppliers to ensure best-value is achieved.
- Managing supplier performance to meet Technical, Schedule, Quality and Cost requirements.
- Developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships with key internal and external business contacts to achieve mutual benefit.
- Ensuring procurement activities are compliant with internal/legislative procedures, and that risks are identified and managed.
- Providing the key interface between internal customers and suppliers to ensure that communication is effectively managed, and issues and risks are fully understood and managed.
- Supporting internal and external reviews of supplier performance as required.
- Contributing to the continual improvement of the supply chain processes.