Senior Buyer

We're looking for a Senior Buyer to join our advanced manufacturing facility based in Ampthill, Bedfordshire. This role benefits from our 4xFlex working pattern, offering a 4 day working week Monday - Thursday and hybrid working with typically 2 days a week onsite.

This role is part of the Lockheed Martin UK Supply Chain Organisation managing the total supply chain for goods and services to meet a variety of programme and business requirements.

The successful candidate will join a renowned international defence company, with a range of technically innovative products and excellent opportunities for career progression, and personal and professional development.

Focussing on managing supplier delivery, it primarily supports the development and production in Armoured Vehicles, Platform Integration, Special Projects and Weapons areas & domains to meet domestic and international programme and business needs. LMUK (Ampthill) has a worldwide supply base although predominantly in the UK, Europe, Middle East and the US.

Success requires experience of working in a functional organisation and a blend of proven skills including relationship building and achievement of deliveries on time and in full, through the ability to successfully negotiate and manage procurements, ranging from simple to complex subcontracts. This will be coupled with effectively working within a multi-disciplinary product team including Engineering, Operations and Quality.

The role focusses on supporting a variety of programmes and undertakes activity across multiple categories of goods and services including simple to complex build to print in commodity areas including PCB's, box-builds, cable harnesses, mechanical, COTs and MOTs.

Responsibilities may extend across the product life cycle and include:

• Undertaking the procurement process including issuing RFQ's, Invitation to Tender, Terms and Conditions, negotiations, bid evaluations, and award of contract .
• Holding a procurement delegation and signing supplier agreements and purchase orders within this limit.
• Negotiating with suppliers to ensure best-value is achieved.
• Managing supplier performance to meet Technical, Schedule, Quality and Cost requirements.
• Developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships with key internal and external business contacts to achieve mutual benefit.
• Ensuring procurement activities are compliant with internal/legislative procedures, and that risks are identified and managed.
• Providing the key interface between internal customers and suppliers to ensure that communication is effectively managed, and issues and risks are fully understood and managed.
• Supporting internal and external reviews of supplier performance as required.
• Contributing to the continual improvement of the supply chain processes.

The successful candidate must achieve the appropriate level (SC) of security clearance. More details can be found here.

Required skills, qualifications and experience:

• Proven experience as a Senior Buyer / Senior Procurement Officer or related role
• Experience in high value CAPEX procurements (Machinery procurement experience preferred)
• Excellent understanding of procurement best practice.
• Excellent commercial skills with the ability to analyse and negotiate best-value agreements.
• Knowledge of strategic sourcing and advanced procurement techniques/tools.
• Excellent commercial skills with the ability to analyse and negotiate best-value agreements.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to effectively manage stakeholders' expectations at a variety of levels.
• Data literate with strong analytical skills.
• Highly motivated, determined, and committed individual with a proven record of achieving cost saving targets/objectives.
• Individual who thrives on challenges, and has experience working within a fast paced procurement function or similar environment.
• Direct experience of the management of tactical supplier relationships.
• Understanding of related disciplines/departments within a design and manufacturing environment.
• Contract management skills
• Ability to work assignments under general direction, independently determining and developing approaches to solutions.
• Proficient in the use of MS Office applications.
• Flexibility to travel as required.

Desired Skills:

• Mechanical (fabrications/machined items) and Electrical (box-build, cables, components) buying experience
• Supply chain experience in the defense environment
• Experience in the various phases of the product lifecycle from proposal capture, programme start-up, development, production, sustainment and end-of-life
• Flexibility to work at different levels of sub contract complexity (off the shelf, build to print, MOTs, and design to specification)
• Knowledge of SAP ERP system
• Bachelors' degree in a business/scientific/technical discipline
• Knowledge/experience of process improvement methodologies
• CIPS or working towards CIPS

We know that diversity of thought leads to better solutions for our customers. Our top priority is finding the best candidate for the job and if you are interested in the position, we'd love to hear how you might contribute to our mission and our team and would encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the criteria set out in our job advert. In addition, we are committed to inclusion of all individuals and will make reasonable adjustments to our applications process. If you require assistance or adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact or call (phone number removed).

Disclaimer:

This vacancy is being advertised by Optamor Limited. Optamor is a specialist Recruitment Process Outsourcing provider. We provide a flexible full recruitment solution which takes care of all recruitment requirements from planning to on-boarding. Our specialist recruitment divisions cover the entire technical arena, including some of the most economically and strategically important industries in the UK and the world today. We will never send your CV without your permission.