Senior Buyer in London

As a Senior Buyer, you will play a critical role in managing procurement activities and supplier relationships within the organisation. Leveraging your expertise in strategic sourcing, negotiation, and supply chain management, you will lead procurement initiatives to optimize costs, mitigate risks, and ensure the timely acquisition of goods and services to support business operations and objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing: Develop and implement strategic sourcing strategies to identify cost‐saving opportunities, streamline procurement processes, and enhance supplier performance. Conduct market research, supplier assessments, and benchmarking to identify potential suppliers, assess their capabilities, and negotiate favourable terms and conditions.
• Supplier Management: Manage relationships with key suppliers, including contract manufacturers, distributors, and service providers, to ensure alignment with business objectives and performance expectations. Conduct supplier evaluations, performance reviews, and audits to monitor supplier performance, address issues, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Procurement Process: Lead the procurement process from requisition to purchase order issuance, ensuring compliance with company policies, procedures, and procurement regulations. Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including department heads, project managers, and finance teams, to gather procurement requirements, assess demand forecasts, and develop procurement plans.
• Negotiation and Contract Management: Negotiate contracts, pricing agreements, and service level agreements with suppliers to achieve cost savings, mitigate risks, and secure favourable terms and conditions. Review and analyse contract terms, conditions, and specifications to ensure compliance with business requirements, legal standards, and regulatory obligations.
• Supplier Diversity and Compliance: Promote supplier diversity initiatives and ensure compliance with diversity policies and regulations in supplier selection and contracting processes. Monitor supplier compliance with contractual obligations, quality standards, and ethical practices, and take corrective actions as necessary to address non‐compliance issues.
• Risk Management: Identify and assess risks associated with supply chain disruptions, price fluctuations, and supplier performance issues, and develop risk mitigation strategies to minimise exposure and ensure business continuity. Implement contingency plans, alternative sourcing strategies, and supply chain resilience measures to mitigate risks and ensure the availability of critical goods and services.
• Cost Analysis and Reporting: Analyse procurement data, spending patterns, and cost drivers to identify opportunities for cost reduction, process optimisation, and efficiency improvements. Prepare procurement reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate key procurement metrics, performance indicators, and savings achievements to senior management and stakeholders.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience as a buyer or procurement professional, with a track record of successfully managing procurement activities and supplier relationships.
• Strong knowledge of procurement principles, strategic sourcing methodologies, and contract negotiation techniques, with expertise in procurement processes and procedures.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with suppliers, stakeholders, and internal customers.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to analyse procurement data, conduct cost‐benefit analysis, and make data‐driven decisions to optimise procurement outcomes.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritise tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast‐paced environment.
• Proficiency in procurement software and tools, such as ERP systems, e‐procurement platforms, and spend analytics tools, is desirable.
• Relevant degree or professional qualification in procurement, supply chain management, business administration, or a related field is essential. Professional accreditation or membership with relevant procurement organisations (e.g., CIPS) is advantageous.

Company Information

OCU leads the way in end‐to‐end infrastructure engineering in the utilities, digital, and energy markets, specialising in safely and efficiently delivering complex client requirements. Our breadth of capabilities and depth of operational capacity, paired with our cutting‐edge technology, ensure that we are not just part of the market; we are leading it. Working directly with many of the country's leading power, energy transition, water, telecoms and digital clients, we are looking for the very best talent to join our growing team.