Supply Chain & Procurement Lead in Haywards Heath

At Universal Quantum, we are building the next generation of quantum computers — machines capable of solving problems once thought impossible. Our technology has the potential to transform industries from healthcare to aerospace, materials science, and beyond. As we scale from breakthrough R&D to global delivery, resilient execution becomes as critical as technical innovation.

What You’ll Accomplish:

• Design and actively run a global supply chain supporting the delivery of highly complex quantum hardware.
• Personally own critical supplier relationships and negotiations, particularly for long‑lead, high‑risk, or strategically important components.
• Build and operate procurement processes day to day, including approvals, vendor onboarding, and exception handling, while laying the groundwork for future scale.
• Identify and manage supply chain risk hands‑on, stepping in directly to resolve issues that could impact engineering progress or delivery milestones.
• Select, implement, and operate fit‑for‑purpose tools and systems, prioritising clarity and speed over over‑engineering.
• Oversee international logistics in practice, including coordination of shipments, documentation, and compliance with customs, duties, and tariffs.
• Work embedded with engineering, finance, and legal, translating technical, commercial, and regulatory constraints into executable supply decisions.

The 3 Most Critical Attributes We’ll Use to Compare Candidates:

• Strategic designer & architect— able to design & build scalable supply & procurement functions.
• Hands‑on contributor— enjoys getting into the weeds as a “doer”.
• Commercially sharp problem‑solver— a confident negotiator who makes sound trade‑offs under real delivery pressure.

Must‑have Skills:

• Experience working in fast‑paced, highly dynamic environments with high ambiguity (e.g. building the plane as it takes off!).
• 5+ years’ experience in supply chain, procurement, or operations within hardware, deep tech, aerospace, or similarly complex sectors.
• Proven experience in both designing and operating global supply chains.
• Strong, hands‑on supplier negotiation and vendor management experience with business‑critical suppliers.
• Experience building and running procurement processes, policies, and approval frameworks.
• Familiarity with international shipping, customs, duties, and trade compliance (direct export control experience a plus; ability to manage external specialists essential).
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills.

Nice‑to‑have Skills:

• Experience in highly regulated or government‑adjacent environments.
• Previous exposure to software SCM, its risk management, and understanding of open source licenses.
• Direct experience with export control or ITAR‑style constraints.
• Prior experience selecting and implementing procurement or supply chain systems.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary, equity options, an unlimited paid holiday allowance, flexible schedule, a 10% matching pension, a generous parental support policy, private health/dental insurance, personal development budget, group life insurance and relocation support.

We are committed to nurturing diversity and inclusion. At Universal Quantum, we’re passionate about working with and for all kinds of minds. As a proud signatory of the Tech Talent Charter (TTC), we have made a number of formal commitments to help to hold ourselves accountable to both our team and peers. This includes pledging to collaborate and share best practices with others, to continuously develop plans to drive inclusion across our business, and to collect and share our diversity data annually. We welcome team members from all backgrounds, and work to create an environment where everyone can flourish freely.