At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage procurement activities and build strategic supplier partnerships for cutting-edge defence products.
- Company: Join OpenWorks, a rapidly growing global business in defence innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus potential, enhanced pension, and generous holiday allowance.
- Other info: Enjoy team socials, learning opportunities, and a culture that empowers growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in defence technology while collaborating with a passionate team.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in procurement, strong communication skills, and a detail-oriented mindset.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
We're looking for a Senior Buyer who can strengthen our supply chain, build strategic supplier partnerships and keep critical components moving reliably into our products. As a Senior Buyer, you will play a pivotal role in securing the goods, services, and strategic supplier partnerships that enable the delivery of cutting-edge defence capabilities to customers around the world. Working within a high-performing developing procurement team, you will develop and execute sourcing strategies for critical materials and complex supply chains, ensuring quality, value, resilience, and compliance across our programmes.
This is an opportunity to influence supplier strategy, negotiate high-value contracts, and build long-term partnerships that support the successful delivery of technologically advanced products in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment. You will collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and programme teams to ensure materials and services are delivered on time, to specification, and in support of demanding operational and customer requirements.
OpenWorks Engineering operates within the defence sector. As part of our recruitment and onboarding processes, we collect information that may be required to support future security vetting and clearance requirements, should these become necessary during employment.
OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England. Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.
We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world. The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.
Join a high-energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced, and people genuinely love what they do. Here’s what our benefits have to offer:
- Rewarding Success: Competitive salary, starting from £40,000, plus a discretionary annual bonus of up to 25% of salary alongside a structured pay progression framework.
- Enhanced Pension: Up to 8% employer-matched contributions to help you plan for the future.
- More Time to Recharge: 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays, long-service rewards, and the option to buy up to 5 extra days.
- Breakfast & Lunch on Us: Enjoy team breakfasts and freshly prepared lunches every day courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.
- Health & Wellbeing: Private healthcare and life assurance for added peace of mind.
- Sustainable Travel: Salary sacrifice schemes, including EV car and Cycle to Work options.
- Team Socials: Regular events, from quiz nights and football to board games and more.
- Learning & Growth: A culture that empowers you to challenge, grow and make an impact, plus a £250 annual learning budget to invest in the development that matters most to you.
Responsibilities:
- Managing end to end procurement activities for direct and indirect spend categories.
- Lead end to end procurement activities for electronic components, mechanical assemblies, optics and associated componentry to support C-UAS programmes.
- Identify, evaluate, select and onboard suppliers capable of meeting technical, commercial quality and security requirements.
- Identifying, developing and driving the implementation of sourcing strategies that deliver value, reduce risk in line with the business growth plan and associated objectives.
- Negotiating commercial terms, pricing and contractual agreements with suppliers.
- Developing and maintaining strong relationships with critical suppliers with the aim of improving performance, quality, innovation, delivery and long-term performance.
- Collaboration with engineering, programme management, manufacturing, quality, senior management and finance team to support project delivery.
- Development of supplier performance through generation and ongoing management of KPI’s with the aim of driving continuous improvement initiatives.
- Identification of supply chain risk including obsolescence, capacity constraints and geopolitical impacts.
- Managing cost saving initiatives and value engineering opportunities.
- Supporting new product introduction (NPI) and strategic supply chain planning.
- Planning and conducting supplier audits to assess quality systems, process capability, regulatory compliance and operational performance whilst driving corrective actions where required.
- Ensuring compliance with defence procurement regulations, export controls and internal governance processes.
- Drive data integrity improvement projects reviewing and cleansing procurement and supplier master data to enhance accuracy, standardise records and improve reporting.
- Monitor market trends, supplier capabilities and industry developments to strengthen the supply base and support innovation.
What we’re looking for:
- CIPS Qualification: Qualified or working towards desirable.
- 5 years + procurement experience in a senior role – In defence, aerospace, electronics industry is preferred but not essential.
- Attention to Detail: Strong curiosity, creativity, highly organised with attention to detail.
- Communication Skills: Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.
- Process and supply chain Improvement Mindset: Ability to identify opportunities to mitigate supply chain risk and generate process efficiencies.
- Troubleshooting Resilience: Persistence, patience, and resilience when working through complex supply chain issues with the ability to generate supporting corrective action plans.
- Decision Making: Strong decision making and problem-solving capability.
- Balanced Approach: Able to balance cost, quality, delivery, security and compliance to achieve programme delivery success.
- Travel Flexibility: Willingness to travel for short supplier visit trips.
Vision: Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.
Mission: Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for surveillance applications and defence.
Values: Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest. Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done. Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility. We are one team: Look out for each other and the team. Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on. Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people.
Senior Buyer in Prudhoe employer: OpenWorks Engineering
OpenWorks is an exceptional employer located in the North East of England, offering a dynamic work environment where finance professionals can thrive. With a competitive remuneration package, generous holiday allowance, and a culture that promotes personal growth and teamwork, employees enjoy unique benefits such as free meals and private healthcare. The company is dedicated to innovation in defence technology, providing meaningful work that contributes to global safety while fostering a supportive and fun workplace atmosphere.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Buyer in Prudhoe
✨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 OpenWorks Engineering.
✨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 Senior Buyer in Prudhoe
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 OpenWorks Engineering:Your cover letter should read like you’re chatting directly to OpenWorks Engineering. 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 OpenWorks Engineering.
How to prepare for a job interview at OpenWorks Engineering
✨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 OpenWorks Engineering!
✨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 OpenWorks Engineering. 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 OpenWorks Engineering's culture.
