Procurement Buyer in England

Job Title: Buyer/Procurement/Purchasing (Aerospace & Defence)

Location: Cambridge – with flexible travel across the UK and Europe

Job Type: Full time

Industry: Aerospace/Defence | Start-ups & Scale-ups

Reports to: Head of Manufacturing

For this role…

The ideal candidate will have experience coming through the ranks from a manufacturing environment, keeping track of their career through buying, purchasing, procurement and ideally has good knowledge of the whole manufacturing process, or is a qualified engineer themselves.

You will have a good understanding of budgeting, commercials, forecasting, and a bonus if you have come from a start-up or scale-up company, ideally from automotive, aerospace or electronic component manufacturing.

About the Role…

We are seeking an experienced Procurement buyer to assist managers with our end-to-end supply chain function.

The successful candidate will bring hands-on experience in with purchasing, buying and procurement ideally from a technical engineering sector.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Management (Direct & Indirect)

• Lead sourcing and procurement activities for direct materials, indirect goods, and services.
• Develop procurement strategies that align with company goals, budget constraints, and regulatory compliance.

Supplier Management

• assist with supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, and ongoing performance management.
• help with long-term and short-term commercial negotiations to secure competitive pricing and strong service-level agreements.

Cost Optimisation

• Identify and execute cost-saving initiatives through strategic sourcing, demand management, and process efficiency.

Forecasting & Planning

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop accurate demand forecasts and ensure material availability.
• Integrate forecasting into procurement and stock planning systems to support operational continuity.

BOM Analysis & Alignment

• Conduct deep-dive analysis of Bills of Materials to optimise sourcing and validate costing accuracy.
• Work closely with engineering and manufacturing teams to support product lifecycle requirements.

Inventory & Stores Control

• Oversee all aspects of inventory management, including stock accuracy, safety stock, and turnover.
• Implement robust stores control procedures and continuous improvement measures.

Compliance & Standards

• Ensure adherence to applicable industry standards and regulations (e.g., AS9100, ISO, MOD/defence procurement protocols).

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

• 5+ years of progressive buying, procurement, supply chain experience.
• Strong background in start-up and scale-up environments.
• Industry expertise in defence, automotive, and/or aerospace sectors.
• Track record in direct and indirect procurement, supplier management, negotiation, and cost optimisation.
• Experience in forecasting, BOM analysis, stock management, and stores operations.

Desirable:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CIPS, APICS, Lean Six Sigma).
• ERP/MRP system proficiency (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite).

Key Skills:

• End-to-end procurement
• Supplier development and management
• Inventory planning and stores control
• BOM analysis and cost control
• Process design and operational scaling