At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead procurement activities and develop supply chain strategies for impactful defence projects.
- Company: Join Babcock, a global leader in engineering and national security.
- Benefits: Generous holiday, flexible working, employee share scheme, and health benefits.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and community involvement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in national security while advancing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in procurement, strong communication skills, and supplier management expertise.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 € per year.
Location: UK, Hybrid
Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Shape supply chains that support national defence and engineering excellence. At Babcock, we're working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Senior Buyer at Babcock, to be based at any of our UK hubs.
The role:
As a Senior Buyer, you'll be at the heart of delivering high-impact procurement solutions across complex defence and engineering programmes. Acting as a key partner to Programme and Project teams, you'll lead sourcing activities, drive value, and strengthen supplier performance across multiple procurement projects. This is a dynamic role where your expertise will directly support mission-critical capabilities. You'll have the opportunity to influence supply chain strategy, develop commercial solutions, and build lasting supplier relationships all while advancing your career in a purpose-driven environment that values innovation and continuous improvement.
Day-to-day, you'll be required to:
- Lead procurement activities across multiple projects to deliver value, performance, and efficiency
- Develop and implement supply chain strategies for defined packages of work
- Build and manage strong supplier relationships to ensure quality and delivery excellence
- Drive operational excellence through reporting, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support programme objectives and commercial outcomes
This role is full time, 37 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with days onsite and days working from home.
Essential experience of the Senior Buyer:
- Proven experience in a procurement or supply chain role, ideally within defence, aerospace, or engineering
- Experience delivering supply chain strategies and identifying value and cost optimisation opportunities
- Demonstrated expertise in supplier relationship management and performance improvement
- Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate across programme teams
- Understanding of procurement processes within complex project environments
Qualifications for the Senior Buyer:
- MCIPS desirable but not essential
Security Clearance:
The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held.
What we offer:
- Generous holiday allowance
- Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
- Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
- Employee share scheme
- Employee shopping savings portal
- Payment of Professional Fees
- Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
- Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows the majority of employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement
- Be Kind Day enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year to undertake volunteering
- Flexible working - we give people more options to better integrate their work and personal life, whilst ensuring that business needs are met
- A dynamic working environment
Babcock is a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 26,000 people working together to make a difference. Here, you'll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we're building a future that lasts - not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance. We call that lifetime engineering. Join us and see how far we can go, together.
We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email careers@babcockinternational.com with the subject header 'Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone's free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.
Closing date: 22/05/2026
Senior Buyer in Portsmouth employer: Nuclearinst
Babcock is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth, offering a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package including generous holiday allowances and flexible working arrangements. With a strong focus on innovation and collaboration, employees in the Senior Buyer role will thrive in a dynamic environment that supports national defence and engineering excellence, while also enjoying opportunities for career advancement and meaningful contributions to vital projects.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Buyer in Portsmouth
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the defence and engineering sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching Babcock and its projects. Understand their supply chain strategies and think about how your experience aligns with their needs. This will help you stand out as a candidate who’s genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your negotiation skills! As a Senior Buyer, you’ll need to demonstrate your ability to drive value and strengthen supplier relationships. Role-play scenarios with friends or mentors to build confidence before the real deal.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining Babcock and contributing to our mission of creating a safe and secure world.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Buyer in Portsmouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Buyer role. Highlight your procurement experience, especially in defence or engineering, and showcase any successful supply chain strategies you've implemented.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role at Babcock and how your skills align with their mission of creating a safe and secure world.
Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your responsibilities; highlight your achievements! Use specific examples of how you’ve driven value and improved supplier performance in previous roles to make your application stand out.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of success. It’s straightforward and ensures your application goes directly to us, so we can review it promptly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nuclearinst
✨Know Your Procurement Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your procurement knowledge, especially in defence and engineering. Be ready to discuss specific strategies you've implemented in past roles and how they delivered value. This will show that you understand the complexities of the role and can hit the ground running.
✨Showcase Supplier Relationships
Prepare examples of how you've built and managed strong supplier relationships. Highlight any instances where you improved supplier performance or resolved conflicts. This is crucial for a Senior Buyer, so make it a key part of your conversation.
✨Demonstrate Cross-Functional Collaboration
Think of times when you've worked with different teams to achieve a common goal. Be ready to explain how you communicated effectively and contributed to programme objectives. This will illustrate your ability to collaborate across various functions, which is essential for this role.
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Familiarise yourself with Babcock's mission and values, especially around national security and public infrastructure. During the interview, connect your experience and skills to their goals. Showing that you align with their purpose will set you apart from other candidates.
