At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage purchase orders and ensure timely delivery of materials to support production.
- Company: Join Mirus Aircraft Seating, a leading aircraft seating manufacturer with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible hours, generous leave, and a great pension scheme.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth in a fast-paced, supportive workplace.
- Why this job: Be at the heart of operations, ensuring smooth production flow in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in procurement or supply chain, with strong ERP/MRP system skills.
LOCATION: Hingham, Norfolk (NR9) - Office based role
DEPARTMENT: Purchasing/Supply Chain
SALARY: Competitive
HOURS: Full time/permanent - 37 hours per week (Mon – Thurs: 8hrs/ Fri: 5 hrs – finish early)
About the role
The Operational Buyer at Mirus Aircraft Seating is a hands-on, transactional procurement role focused on ensuring the right parts, materials, and services are available, ordered and delivered on time to support production. This role is responsible for keeping the supply chain moving every day. This means raising and managing purchase orders, working closely with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery, and quickly resolving issues such as shortages, delays, or quality problems that could disrupt production.
In your role as our Operational Buyer, you will:
- Use ERP/MRP systems daily (essential) to raise, amend, and manage purchase orders, ensuring accurate and timely procurement of materials to support production schedules
- Execute end to end buying activity, from review through to order placement, delivery tracking, and invoice alignment
- Proactively manage suppliers, chasing orders, expediting deliveries, and resolving shortages or delays to prevent disruption to manufacturing
- Support basic negotiation activity (essential), including pricing checks, lead-time discussions, and agreement of commercial terms within established frameworks
- Monitor stock levels and system demand signals, ensuring materials are available when needed and highlighting supply risks early
- Work closely with suppliers to improve delivery performance, reliability, and responsiveness, escalating issues where required
- Contribute to supplier performance tracking, including on time delivery, quality issues, and lead time adherence
- Support supply continuity planning, identifying potential risks in the supply chain and escalating issues proactively to prevent production impact
- Maintain accurate and compliant records within ERP systems to ensure traceability, audit readiness, and data integrity
- Collaborate with production, planning, and engineering teams to ensure purchasing activity is aligned with build requirements and production priorities
About you
To help Mirus continue our journey of growth, you will be highly organised, detail-focused, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, process driven environment where accuracy and consistency are critical. You will have experience in procurement, supply chain, or manufacturing operations, with strong day to day use of ERP/MRP systems (essential) to manage purchase orders, stock levels, and supplier transactions. You will be confident in a transactional buying environment, proactively chasing suppliers, expediting deliveries, and resolving issues quickly to protect production flow. Strong communication and negotiation skills are essential, along with the ability to build effective working relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
You will be commercially aware, able to support basic negotiation around price and lead times, and capable of balancing cost, quality, and delivery priorities. Most importantly, you will be proactive, resilient, and dependable, with a mindset focused on keeping production running smoothly and efficiently along with the following skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:
- Experience in purchasing, supply chain, materials control, logistics or expediting
- Experience working within either a manufacturing or engineering industry
- Strong ERP/MRP system experience (essential), confident daily use of systems to raise and manage purchase orders, track stock, and process demand accurately and efficiently
- Procurement / transactional buying experience, hands-on experience in operational purchasing, order management, and supplier follow-up in a fast-paced manufacturing or supply chain environment
- Proactive supplier management & expediting with the ability to chase deliveries, resolve shortages, and push suppliers to meet deadlines to protect production schedules
- Supplier negotiation skills – with the ability to support price, lead time, and delivery discussions within agreed frameworks, helping to secure cost-effective and reliable supply without disrupting production relationships
- Attention to detail & process discipline, high level of accuracy in data entry, order tracking, and compliance, ensuring materials are correctly ordered and systems are always reliable and up to date
- CIPS or equivalent professional qualification
- Experience of operating within automotive / aerospace sectors
- Familiarity with engineering or technical components, supporting better understanding of supplier specifications and production requirements
- Understanding of Incoterms and Logistics
- Exposure to lean manufacturing or continuous improvement environments, with an understanding of efficiency, waste reduction, and process improvement
- Experience working with international suppliers or global supply chains particularly in Asia, including managing time zones, logistics constraints, and cross-border delivery challenges
Personal skills / attributes:
- Highly organised and detail-focused – able to manage multiple purchase orders, suppliers, and system inputs accurately without errors
- Proactive and solution-driven – quick to identify supply risks and take action to prevent disruption to production
- Strong communicator – confident dealing with suppliers and internal teams, chasing information and resolving issues clearly and professionally
- Resilient and calm under pressure – able to handle repetitive, fast-paced, and deadline-driven work without losing focus or accuracy
- Reliable and accountable – takes ownership of tasks from order placement through to delivery, ensuring nothing is missed
- Process-oriented mindset – comfortable working within structured systems and following defined procurement processes consistently
Be eligible to work in the UK, comfortable commuting or being based in Hingham, Norfolk and work flexible hours required.
Operational Buyer in Hingham employer: Mirus Aircraft Seating
Mirus is an exceptional employer located in Hingham, Norfolk, offering a dynamic and collaborative work environment for Graduate Project Engineers. With competitive benefits such as generous holiday allowances, flexible working hours, and comprehensive training opportunities, employees are empowered to grow their technical and project management skills while contributing to innovative aerospace projects with industry leaders like Airbus and Boeing. The company fosters a culture of mentorship and continuous improvement, ensuring that every team member can make a meaningful impact from day one.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Operational Buyer in Hingham
✨Get Savvy with Industry Perks
Join procurement and purchasing forums or groups where pros hang out, like CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply). They'll share the inside scoop on job openings that might not show up on traditional job boards!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Consider creating a portfolio that outlines your achievements in procurement, like cost-saving initiatives or supplier management strategies. Having tangible evidence of your skills can really set you apart when applying to companies like Mirus Aircraft Seating.
✨Tap into Your Network
Leverage LinkedIn to connect with professionals in procurement—follow relevant hashtags, join groups, and engage in discussions. This is a great way to get noticed by potential employers before they even post a job!
✨Keep Your Eyes on Job Boards
With full-time positions, timing can be everything. Set alerts on job boards specifically for procurement roles. Don't wait for a job posting to close; apply through our website as soon as you see a fit—being proactive can give you the edge!
We think you need these skills to ace Operational Buyer in Hingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Procurement Know-How:When you're crafting your CV, make sure to highlight any procurement-specific skills you've got. Talk about your experience with supplier negotiations, cost analysis, or inventory management. If you’ve used software like SAP or Oracle, don’t forget to mention that too – it shows you know your way around the tech side of things!
Quantify Your Achievements:In procurement, numbers matter. Use your CV and cover letter to showcase any quantifiable achievements you've made in reducing costs or improving efficiencies. For example, mentioning that you helped save 20% on purchasing costs last year is way more impressive than just saying you managed the budget!
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Mirus Aircraft Seating:Your cover letter should read like you’re chatting directly to Mirus Aircraft Seating. Research the company’s procurement strategy, mention how your skills align with their goals, and share your enthusiasm for contributing to their success. This personal touch can really set you apart from the crowd!
Professional Certs Can Go a Long Way:If you've got any procurement-related certifications, such as CIPS or APICS, make sure they're front and centre on your CV. These qualifications show you're serious about your career in procurement and are committed to continuous learning. It’s a great way to signal your expertise and dedication to potential employers like Mirus Aircraft Seating.
How to prepare for a job interview at Mirus Aircraft Seating
✨Show Off Your Negotiation Skills
In procurement, strong negotiation skills are key. Be ready to share examples of past negotiations where you've successfully saved costs or improved supplier terms. We want to hear how you approached those situations and the strategies you used to achieve positive outcomes!
✨Know Your Tools
Make sure you’re familiar with procurement software and tools commonly used in the industry, such as SAP Ariba or Coupa. Come prepared to discuss any experiences you've had with these tools or similar platforms, as we need someone who can hit the ground running at Mirus Aircraft Seating!
✨Understand Market Trends
As a procurement professional, being aware of market trends can set you apart. Brush up on recent developments in supply chain management or procurement best practices and think about how they could impact your role at Mirus Aircraft Seating. Bringing a current perspective will show your enthusiasm for the industry.
✨Demonstrate Your Team Player Attitude
A full-time position means you'll be working closely with various teams. Be prepared to discuss how you collaborate with others, manage conflicts, and build relationships with stakeholders. Sharing anecdotes about past teamwork experiences will highlight your ability to fit into Mirus Aircraft Seating's culture.
