Manufacturing Buyer (Contract)

Smiths Group designs, manufactures and delivers smarter engineering solutions for mission-critical applications, solving some of the world\’s toughest problems for our customers, our communities and our world. For over 170 years, Smiths Group has been pioneering progress by improving the world through smarter engineering. We serve millions of people every year, to help create a safer, more efficient and better-connected world, across four major global markets: Energy, General Industry, Security & Defence, and Aerospace. Improving our world is what we do, how we think, and how we will continue to use our passion for technology and engineering to tackle our customers biggest challenges today and in the future. Whether you\’re an experienced professional or just starting out, our global scale and focus on growth means we have some great career opportunities for you. To provide procurement subject matter expertise, to support the development and implementation of Procurement category strategies that will deliver sustainable competitive advantage Globally/Regionally within the specific category, through: Minimising Smiths risk exposure within the category Utilising best in class procurement practices. Promote and communicate the value of the Indirect Procurement function across the business Identify potential suppliers, evaluate their capabilities, and select the most suitable, based on criteria such as cost, quality, reliability, sustainability and compliance with corporate standards. Leverage the company’s purchasing power to negotiate favourable terms and conditions, including price, delivery schedules, and payment terms. Cost Analysis and Reduction: Risk Management and Compliance Risk Assessment: Identify and mitigate risks associated with the supply chain, such as supplier financial stability, geopolitical issues, and environmental concerns. Compliance: Ensure that all procurement activities comply with legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the company’s ethical standards and policies. Support the service back-office capabilities Streamline procurement processes to improve efficiency, reduce cycle times, and eliminate administrative waste. Support and utilise advanced procurement technologies and systems (e.g., S2P solution) to enhance data accuracy, visibility, compliance, and decision-making. Performance Measurement and Reporting Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the procurement and category function. Provide regular reports and insights to senior management on procurement activities, savings achieved, supplier performance, and market trends. Support the VP of Sustainability, ESG and Indirect Procurement to ensure the function is provided with high quality navigation, forecasting and business planning metrics that facilitate insightful sustainability and commercially focussed decision making. Conducting regular reviews of all aspects of the sustainability and procurement within the role to monitor and drive performance and identify areas requiring greater focus (ie Ecovadis) Ensuring sustainability and procurement is represented appropriately on all key project and decision-making panels. Coaching for complex tradeoffs Conduct regular and broad ranging analytical reviews to provide comfort on the completeness, timeliness, and accuracy of Sustainability & procurement projects. Monitoring business case delivery on all Sustainability and procurement programs that support Net Zero delivery plans Project management, group-wide target setting, tracking & reporting Building Organisational Capabilities Synchronise with service back office to mature procurement operational efficiencies and data & analytics capabilities Internal Controls: Ensure adequate financial and non-financial controls are in place to ensure compliance and assurance to audit standards. Policies & Procedures: Ensure the business is compliant with all Smiths Group sustainability, procurement and financial policies and procedures. Complying with and promoting all relevant legal requirements & Smiths policies and procedures, including business ethics, data protection and health & safety. Exemplar of indirect procurement and supplier sustainability Define and communicate the vision for transformation Promote mindset shift on cultural behaviours Quantifying and communicating commercial, environmental and social benefits The candidate will ideally hold a degree and post graduate qualification in a relevant supporting subject i.e. Procurement (MCIPS) / MBA although significant experience in a procurement or commercial role will be considered. Understand and leverage the benefits from an integrated sustainability and indirect procurement function that sits within the overall Smiths business and extends to the holistic value stream (key suppliers and partners are an extension of the enterprise) A conscientious approach supporting category strategy development and thirst for analysis and problem solving built on strong analytical skills. Strong presentation, writing skills and effective communication is crucial Diversity & Inclusion: All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity. At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Detection, Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website ( Careers – Smiths Group plc )