Strategic Sourcing Buyer

Your role as a Strategic Sourcing Buyer is to be accountable for developing and executing a sustainable procurement strategy within your assigned commodity area. This includes establishing and managing long-term agreements and service-level commitments, optimising and rationalising the supplier base, and ensuring effective supplier onboarding. A key focus of the role is strengthening supply chain resilience by building diversified, high-performing supplier networks and proactively mitigating risk. The role drives strong supplier relationships and performance to ensure parts are delivered on time, to specification, and at the lowest sustainable total cost. You will report to the Procurement Manager.

You will:

• Develop and execute category strategies for assigned commodities, ensuring alignment with divisional and Product Company objectives.
• Build and maintain an optimal supplier portfolio that supports current operational needs and long-term strategic goals.
• Establish effective integrated material supply methods along the entire chain through Buffer Stock Agreements (BSA) and Letters of Warranty (LoW).
• Develop and maintain business continuity plans for critical suppliers and critical parts, aligned with divisional strategy.
• Ensure supplier compliance with regulatory, ethical, environmental, and corporate governance requirements.
• Secure supplier capacity through proactive planning, capacity assessments, and contractual commitments.
• Identify, lead, and deliver cost-reduction initiatives across the supply base.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing to optimise material flow and ensure supply chain efficiency.
• Develop strong working relationships with Engineering, Production, Customer Service, Quality, and other internal stakeholders.
• Facilitate early supplier engagement in technology and product development projects to leverage external expertise.

To succeed, you will need:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business Administration, or Supply Chain.
• CIPS qualification Level 4.
• Minimum 10 years procurement experience preferably in a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• 5 years in a strategic role, or experience in developing category strategies.
• Cost analysis and supply market intelligence.
• Proficient in reading and understanding technical drawings.
• Excellent communication skills across all levels of an organisation, both internally and externally with suppliers.

In return, we offer:

• Culture of trust and accountability.
• Lifelong learning and career growth.
• Comprehensive compensation and benefits.
• Health and well-being.

This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, allowing you to split your time between working remotely and being on-site at our office in Bristol, United Kingdom (GB).

About Edwards: Edwards is a leading developer and manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products, exhaust management systems and related value-added services. Edwards solutions are integral to manufacturing processes for semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells. They are also used within an increasingly diverse range of industrial processes including power, glass and other coating applications; steel and other metallurgy; pharmaceutical and chemical; and for scientific instruments in a wide range of R&D applications. Edwards has over 4,000 employees worldwide engaged in the design, manufacture and support of high technology vacuum and exhaust management equipment. Edwards has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and North America.