Senior Buyer - Direct Sourcing

Advanced Materials Manufacturing & Engineering

Gloucestershire

Circa £55,000 p.a. + Strong Benefits Package

Senior level procurement within advanced manufacturing and engineering.

A highly respected advanced materials manufacturing and engineering business is seeking an experienced Senior Buyer to lead direct sourcing activity across a diverse and technically demanding project portfolio.

This is not a routine purchasing role but one with genuine commercial input.

You will be sourcing engineered components, specialist materials and technical services in support of complex, customer-driven manufacturing programmes across multiple end-user sectors including;
Defence, Aerospace, Automotive and Industrial Manufacturing.

Operating within a small but dynamic, project-led Procurement team, you will take ownership of direct procurement activity, ensuring materials, components and specialist sub-contract services are sourced competitively, delivered on time and aligned with demanding technical and certification driven specifications.

The business supports a broad spectrum of industries, requiring agility, strong supplier relationships and sound commercial judgement.

• Lead direct sourcing activity for raw materials, engineered components and technical sub-contract services
• Support multiple concurrent technical projects across varied customer sectors
• Negotiate pricing, terms and framework agreements to protect margin
• Work closely with Engineering, Production and Project teams to understand specification and lead-time requirements
• Identify and qualify new suppliers to mitigate risk and improve resilience
• Manage supplier performance, quality and delivery metrics
• Drive cost reduction initiatives without compromising technical integrity
• Support long-lead and complex procurement planning

• Proven experience in direct procurement within manufacturing or engineering
• Exposure to sourcing technical components or advanced materials
• Strong negotiation and commercial skills
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and technical specifications
• Experience working within project-driven or low-to-medium volume environments
• Supplier development and performance management capability
• Strong stakeholder management across technical and operational teams

• Diverse and technically interesting sourcing portfolio
• Exposure to advanced engineering applications across multiple sectors
• High level of autonomy and influence
• Opportunity to shape supplier strategy and cost performance
• Stable, forward-thinking manufacturing environment

To apply in confidence and to initiate an informal discussion, please submit a fully CV online detailing your current remuneration package and availability quoting job reference 10292.

Procurement, Purchasing, Buyer, Commercial, Negotiation, Manufacturing, Engineering, Aerospace, Automotive, Industrial, CIPS, Direct