Global Commodity Director - Direct Material

Global Commodity Director - Direct Material

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GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies and are committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn in 2023.

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An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a Global Commodity Director to lead a strategic regional commodity portfolio within our Civil Business Line. The Civil Business Line manages an annual external spend of approximately £800 m, working with a diverse, global supply base of over 1,000 strategic partners. This is a high‑profile, high‑impact leadership role at the heart of the business. You will shape and deploy regional commodity strategies across composites, metallic raw materials and AGS, fully aligned to our Business Line direction (“where we play and how we win”) and closely integrated with Operations make/buy and industrial strategies.

You will translate strategy into action through a powerful portfolio of strategic sourcing, supplier development and commercial transformation initiatives. Your leadership will deliver measurable financial results while simultaneously elevating supplier performance, strengthening supply chain resilience and unlocking innovation across the value chain.

Operating within our matrix global procurement organisation, you will influence across sites, functions and geographies, connecting site‑based procurement teams with Business Line commodity and supplier management. This breadth of scope offers exceptional visibility, senior‑level engagement and the opportunity to leave a lasting imprint on the future of GKN Aerospace’s supply chain.
This role can be based anywhere in the UK or Europe, offering flexibility while maintaining strong connectivity across our regional and global teams.

• Define and deploy regional commodity strategies aligned to Business Line and operational objectives.
• Lead a portfolio of strategic sourcing programmes delivering cost reduction, cash improvement and value creation.
• Build and manage structured, collaborative relationships with key global suppliers.
• Take direct ownership of high‑value/high‑risk suppliers, managing performance across quality, delivery, cost and risk.
• Lead and develop a team of strategic procurement professionals, ensuring high performance and ongoing professional growth.
• Collaborate closely with operations, engineering, programmes and finance to align procurement with business priorities.
• Strengthen supply chain resilience, competitiveness and sustainability performance.

Essential

• Extensive strategic procurement / category management experience within high‑value direct materials (typically £200 m+ spend portfolios).
• Proven success defining and executing commodity strategies that deliver financial and operational impact.
• Strong track record of leading cross‑functional teams across operations, engineering, programmes and finance.
• High level of commercial and numerical capability, including the design and negotiation of complex commercial agreements.
• Demonstrated leadership effectiveness in both direct and matrix environments.
• Clear evidence of delivering complex, ambiguous programmes and taking personal accountability for results.

Desirable

• Good understanding of the Aerospace industry or similarly regulated, complex manufacturing environments.

• Competitive salary dependent on experience
• Up to 36% bonus
• Car allowance
• Industry‑leading pension scheme – we’ll match your contributions up to 8% on a 1 : 1.5 basis
• Life assurance 8 × salary
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Flexible working hours and remote/hybrid working
• Income protection
• Shopping discounts
• Cy…