Senior Buyer

Senior Buyer

Location: Buckinghamshire
Salary: £40,000–£42,000 + Performance related bonus
Hours: Full‑time, Monday–Friday
Working Pattern: Hybrid available post‑training
Benefits: Enhanced holiday & pension, private healthcare, extensive career & personal development

Overview

A leading global technology business in Buckinghamshire is seeking a proactive and commercially astute Senior Buyer to join its growing, worldwide Supply Chain team. This is a strategic, data‑driven role where you will manage the full procurement lifecycle, support long‑term capacity planning, and play a key part in the company’s Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process.

You will work cross‑functionally with Sales, Planning, Engineering, and Supply Chain to ensure supplier performance, inventory optimisation, and continuity of supply across a complex, fast‑moving product portfolio. If you enjoy combining commercial negotiation with analytical insight and long‑term planning, this role offers genuine influence and development.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end‑to‑end procurement process to support business demand, customer commitments, and strategic supply chain goals.
• Raise, manage, and monitor Purchase Orders (POs) in Oracle ERP, ensuring alignment with forecasts, lead times, and inventory strategy.
• Source materials and services from the Approved Vendor List (AVL), evaluating total cost, lead time, logistics, and OTIF performance.
• Maintain accurate procurement master data in Oracle, including pricing, Incoterms, lead times, and supplier performance metrics.
• Analyse procurement, demand, and inventory data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities; deliver insights through Excel and Power BI dashboards.
• Lead procurement input into IBP cycles, providing visibility of supply constraints, risks, and opportunities across 1-2 year horizons
• Participate in Demand Planning meetings, presenting supply‑side perspectives and mitigation strategies.
• Support strategic vendor management, including performance reviews, risk assessments, and supplier development.
• Drive proactive management of aged, excess, and End‑of‑Life (EOL) inventory, supporting lifecycle and obsolescence planning.
• Represent Supply Chain in cross‑functional reviews (inventory, S&OP, engineering reviews), leading discussions on supply chain performance and improvement actions.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure purchasing strategies align with business objectives, customer requirements, and cost targets.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance procurement efficiency, data quality, and cost savings.
• Provide mentoring and support to colleagues, acting as a subject matter expert within the team.
• Assess opportunities to share inventory across global Supply Chain functions and execute agreed actions.
• Lead assigned projects from the Master Scheduler, Supply Chain Manager, or Director of Supply Chain.

Key requirements

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in procurement or supply chain roles within a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• Strong experience working with metal fabrication suppliers across the UK and Europe, including negotiation of price, lead time, and capacity.
• Demonstrable experience supporting or leading IBP / S&OP processes and long‑term capacity planning (12–24 months).
• Advanced skills in Excel, data analysis, and BI tools (Power BI essential; Tableau beneficial).
• Strong commercial acumen with excellent negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.
• Experience using Oracle ERP (strongly preferred) or similar systems.
• Knowledge of international logistics, Incoterms, and supply chain risk management.
• Experience in EOL management, inventory optimisation, and lifecycle planning.
• Comfortable working with international suppliers across multiple time zones.
• Degree‑level education (advantageous).
• CIPS qualification or equivalent (desirable).

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £40k–£42k
• Performance‑related bonus
• Hybrid working after training
• Enhanced holiday and pension scheme
• Private healthcare
• Significant opportunities for career progression and personal development