Supplier Development Manager in Runcorn

Heroux-Devtek, the world’s 3rd largest producer of landing gear, serves the civil and military aerospace markets from production facilities in North America and Europe. The Company’s longevity, flexibility, and track record for the development and implementation of innovative production systems have distinguished it as a leader in the domain.

Located in Runcorn, United Kingdom, our newly extended 120,000 sq. ft. facility is a fully integrated site offering comprehensive manufacturing, repair, and overhaul services to the major players in the landing gear industry. Designated as a Center of Excellence, the facility specializes in surface treatment and assembly of small to medium sized landing gear systems.

The Supplier Development Manager oversees supplier performance, drives continuous improvement, and ensures suppliers meet quality, cost, and delivery standards while supporting new product development and strategic supply chain goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead effective execution of supplier evaluation, qualification, and issue resolution activities (RCA).
• Lead Rate Readiness Reviews and collaborate with suppliers to implement Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), ensuring on-time Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) submissions and supplier readiness.
• Conduct supplier audits, assess capabilities, and implement corrective actions to improve quality, cost, and delivery performance.
• Manage supplier relationships, and drive strategic partnerships to enhance supply chain efficiency and resilience.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Operations, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain to align supplier strategies with business objectives.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics, identify risks, and develop mitigation strategies to maintain a robust and competitive supply base.
• Support new product introductions (NPI), part transfers and scalable manufacturing by ensuring suppliers meet technical and operational requirements.
• Contribute to strategic planning, budgeting, and capacity decisions at both functional and program levels.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degrees such as an MBA are often preferred.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in supplier development, procurement, supply chain management, or manufacturing engineering.
• Certifications such as APICS, CIPS, ISO, TS, CPIM, ASQ, or QMS are advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of supplier quality systems, supply chain principles, and performance improvement methodologies.

Desired Skills:

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills for building and maintaining supplier relationships.
• Analytical skills to interpret supplier performance data and implement improvement strategies.
• Leadership and mentorship capabilities to guide teams and develop supplier capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and supplier management software.
• Willingness to travel for supplier audits, assessments, and relationship management.

Core Competencies:

• Ability to analyze and prioritize tasks, adapt to changing circumstances, and consistently achieve results.
• Strong collaboration and partnership-building skills across internal teams and external suppliers.
• Innovation-oriented mindset to identify process improvements and adopt new technologies.
• Capacity to manage supplier risk, sustainability initiatives, and supplier diversity programs.

This role is critical for ensuring that suppliers are capable, compliant, and strategically aligned with the company’s goals, ultimately contributing to product quality, cost efficiency, and supply chain resilience.

What we offer?

• Competitive salaries tied to performance, reviewed annually.
• Standard 37-hour week, Annual leave 25 days + bank holidays.
• Generous group pension plan with up to 7.5% employer contribution.
• Life Assurance 3 x salary.
• Company funded medical benefits package from day one.
• Access to retail and gym discounts.
• Loyalty bonuses.
• Supportive environment where you can learn and grow.
• A culture where diversity is valued, empowering individuals to contribute positively to the organization’s success.
• Team Building social events.

Heroux-Devtek aims to grow as an industry by meeting customer expectations through the dedication and commitment of its people. Heroux-Devtek emphasizes a culture centred on the "4 Rs": Respect, Responsibility, Recognition, and Resilience.

This entails fostering quality relationships with customers, colleagues, and suppliers, ensuring quality delivery and fairness, acknowledging employee achievements, and promoting flexibility, openness, and tenacity among employees. This approach contributes to a stable workforce and reinforces an entrepreneurial spirit, guiding employees towards shared objectives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any of these characteristics.

User privacy is paramount, we are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with GDPR regulation.