Senior Buyer

Location: Silverstone, Northamptonshire

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Report to: Head of Purchasing

**Salary**: Negotiable dependent on experience

About KWSP

KW Special Projects is a high-performance design and engineering solution provider at the heart of the Silverstone Technology Cluster. KWSP uses the speed and agility of the motorsport industry upon which it was founded to provide cutting-edge, on-demand design and engineering services.

By transferring knowledge and technology from one sector to another they develop novel solutions to their clients’ challenges which have led to them working on projects from Additively Manufactured Batteries through to equipment for Professional Sports Teams.

However, they are still most well known for their expertise within the Automotive & Motorsport world and to this day continue to leverage their motorsport DNA to deliver complete engineering solutions for high-performance and niche vehicles.

Our capabilities include:

- High Performance Engineering
- Digital Fabrication
- Additive Manufacturing
- Automation
- Lightweight structures and composites
- Industrial Inkjet
- High Performance Engineering project management
- Special purpose machine design and manufacture

About the role

Working in an extremely agile purchasing department you will be reporting into the Head of Purchasing. Your role will be vital to the day to day running of the department, ensuring parts are supplied into programmes on time and to budget. You will be managing a range of highly technical components and their supply chains. Reporting into the business status and resolving issues. You will help lead the day-to-day supplier management activities and you will have the ability to identify risks and put in place risk mitigation strategies to enable continuous supply.

Main Duties

Ø To manage multiple suppliers across nominated commodities supplying highly technical components and assemblies into the business.

Ø Plan, Negotiate and procure direct materials into the business.

Ø Working with and reporting to the Head of Purchasing and programme teams, you will be responsible for all aspects of the purchasing process into projects.

Ø Ability to develop/manage and maintain supply schedules.

Ø Manage and solve complex supply issues using teamwork and collaboration across the business.

Ø You will help develop and maintain purchasing strategies for chosen commodities.

Ø Commercial negotiations including supply contracts, DFM cost down activities and QAF (quotation analysis)

Ø Liaison with SQE to ensure issues are documented and resolved efficiently.

Ø Recording detailed data via ERP and build documentation.

Ø Managing the MRP system daily. Ensuring accuracy.

Ø Using the Microsoft suite of products, support departmental reporting. Help develop new and innovative ways to support the growing business needs.

Ø Support and develop the purchasing team and purchase to pay processes.

Person Specification: Core competencies and experience.

The Senior Buyer will have the chance to be involved in diverse and interesting projects.

All applicants are required to have;
- Experience in a similar environment.
- Minimum 3-5 years purchasing experience.
- Extensive supplier management experience ideally in automotive/motorsport environment.
- Have excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to communicate to key stakeholders within the business.
- Have the ability to prioritise / understanding of the need to prioritise
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Proven skills in detailed analysis and problem solving from first principles
- Follow, create, and disseminate good working practises and processes
- Thrive operating in small team environments
- Able to positively contribute to developing processes based on changing project requirements

The successful applicant will be;
- A problem solver/have strong lateral thinking skills
- Flexible, takes initiative and can easily adapt
- Demonstrate high attention to detail
- Prepared to get hands on
- Work effectively under pressure
- Self-motivated
- Show commitment and dedication to quality ensure customers requirements are always met
- Tenacious in meeting deadlines
- Proactive in health and safety best practices
- Have continuous improvement mentality

Opportunities for Career Development

KWSP is a small but growing business. For someone with the right “can do” attitude, technical skill and initiative there may be future opportunities within the business

The role may require you to work out of main office hours or to travel around the UK or abroad and spend periods of time with our customers off site.

Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified.

Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.

**Job