Senior Buyer

Our OEM Client based in Gaydon, is searching for a Senior Buyer to join their team, Inside IR35. This is a contract position with a proposed end date of 2nd August 2027. Candidates can be considered on both a full time and part-time basis.

Umbrella Pay Rate: £35.80 per hour.

The Opportunity:

Lead and manage purchasing activities within assigned categories, ensuring delivery of cost, quality, and strategic objectives. Responsible for developing and deploying global category strategies, aligning stakeholders and regional teams, delivering sourcing activities through the Global Sourcing Process (GSP), and supporting supplier performance and contract management. Drive continuous improvement through Category Centre of Excellence (COE) initiatives and best-practice procurement activities.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Delivery of cost reduction and cost avoidance savings targets.
• Strategic Category Plan (SCP) delivery and annual review completion.
• Compliance with Global Sourcing Process (GSP) and First Time Through targets.
• Achievement of contract management and supplier relationship review objectives.
• Contribution to transformation and continuous improvement projects.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

Category Strategy:

• Develop, maintain and deliver Strategic Category Plans in line with annual targets.
• Utilise supplier, market and business analytics to inform category decisions.
• Apply category strategies to sourcing activities, supplier selection and route-to-market decisions.
• Ensure stakeholder and regional alignment to support strategy deployment.

Sourcing:

• Deliver sourcing projects in line with policy, GSP requirements and Total Cost of Ownership principles.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations, securing necessary legal, financial and governance approvals.
• Prepare and submit Global Strategy Approach Documents and ensure GSP compliance.
• Drive stakeholder engagement and regional alignment on sourcing strategies.
• Deliver category savings targets and support Make vs Buy assessments.
• Manage supply chain risks and ensure regional teams adhere to category strategies.
• Collaborate with specialist functions including Finance, Risk and Legal.
• Act as the primary point of contact for supplier engagement and commercial discussions.

Key Interactions:

• Internal budget holders and requisitioning departments.
• Suppliers and commercial account teams.
• Finance Business Partners (Capex and Opex).
• Legal, Supplier Risk and specialist support teams.
• Regional and operational buying teams.
• External industry bodies and forums.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience Required:

• CIPS qualified/accredited.
• End-to-end procurement expertise across the 8-step procurement cycle.
• Strong commercial acumen and negotiation skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and manage complex sourcing activities.
• Flexible, agile and adaptable to changing business priorities.
• Results-oriented with resilience, drive and a proven track record of delivery in demanding environments.
• Willingness to travel to supplier and locations.

Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience Requested:

• Knowledge of construction procurement and contract forms such as JCT, NEC and FIDIC.
• Understanding of construction industry markets and supply chains.
• Experience working closely with operational stakeholders within the category area.
• Previous supplier-side or category-specific industry experience.