Senior Buyer - 3 Month FTC

Lotus Cars is renowned for crafting world-class, high-performance, and lightweight sports cars that are celebrated across the globe. Lotus Cars Limited serves as the company’s manufacturing HQ in the UK, where we proudly produce iconic models such as the Emira and the all-electric Evija. As we continue to elevate our capabilities and global presence, we are seeking a talented, creative, and motivated person to join us on our journey.

This role requires a commercially astute individual to join the procurement activity for a defined direct material product group, working closely with our Engineering, Quality and Programme teams. Purchasing is a key stakeholder in delivering the future of Lotus and this role will be pivotal to creating the right supply chains for our future products by acting as a core conduit for true cross-functional working across our Production Purchasing, Supply, Supplier Quality, Product Engineering and Manufacturing functions.

• Leading and promoting the development of collaborative and world-class supplier relationships.
• Managing the supplier performance, through vehicle launch phases and current vehicle phases, ensuring that Quality, Cost and Delivery performance is maintained.
• Establishing an in-depth understanding of the supply base, local and global markets, and the requirements of the business.
• Developing and maintaining commodity & sourcing strategies.
• Leading supplier negotiations and ensuring the delivery of material cost targets for the new product introduction.
• Focussing on “best practice”, striving for, and driving measurable process improvement opportunities.
• Identifying and driving cost reduction activities throughout the supply base, including the identification of Make vs Buy opportunities, supporting the development of business justifications.
• Managing supplier capacity changes and constraints and developing mitigation strategies for any suppliers, where a risk is identified.
• Networking with the wider organisation to maximise group leverage possibilities.

• Ability to work independently, results driven, and tenacious, with the drive and perseverance to deliver within a complex, highly demanding environment.
• A strong communicator with the ability to communicate effectively with key stakeholders to influence cross-functional engagement.
• An effective team player, who actively develops and supports other team members.
• A winning spirit – resilience and tenacity.
• Ability to be nimble and be an effective problem solver.
• Constructively challenge what doesn’t meet the needs of our customers.
• Previous experience within procurement and supply chain.
• Experience within the manufacturing or automotive sector is desirable.
• Desirable commodity knowledge: machining, casting and raw material (Aluminium, Steel).
• Understand the strategic role of the Procurement function and ability to work at this level.
• Higher education: Degree or NVQ level 5 Certificate (ideally technical/business related).
• Flexibility to work independently and travel as and when the business requires.

This role will be working from our Hethel plant within our flexible working policy. Candidates must be eligible to work in UK without VISA sponsorship. 3 Month Fixed term contract.