Senior Technical Buyer

Prodrive Composites Ltd; Banbury; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm is seeking a Senior Technical Buyer to lead procurement for complex components in high-pressure environments. The ideal candidate should possess extensive technical purchasing experience in motorsport, drawing literacy, and the ability to resolve critical supply chain issues. This role offers an attractive salary, extensive holiday, and ongoing professional development opportunities, making it ideal for driven individuals seeking to excel in a dynamic industry.

Benefits

Attractive salary depending on development

25 days holiday with the option to purchase 15 extra

Training opportunities

Car and pension salary sacrifice schemes

Paid time off for volunteering

Social events throughout the year

Exclusive company discounts

Life assurance

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in technical purchasing within motorsport or advanced engineering.
• Deep understanding of manufacturing processes and constraints.
• Proven experience delivering under time pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement of complex, safety-critical components.
• Diagnose and resolve supply, quality, or technical failures.
• Anticipate risks across the supply chain and intervene early.

Skills

Technical purchasing experience

Ability to resolve supply chain issues

Drawing literacy

ERP or purchasing systems knowledge

Resilience under pressure

Job description

About Us

At Prodrive we believe there’s no limit to what can be achieved when the brightest minds come together. Joining one focused and driven team, you will challenge boundaries in order to change the game for our customers. We are the world’s leading independent motorsport company and the business behind some of the greatest names and achievements in motorsport over the last 40 years. Our Advanced Technology business combines our pace and agility with free‑thinking to deliver complex engineering solutions and specialist manufacturing programmes to the automotive, aerospace, marine, and defence sectors, accelerating the net zero journey for our customers.

Position Summary

We are looking for a Senior Technical Buyer to act as a senior technical authority, able to deliver complex, high‑risk components and resolve critical supply challenges in potentially extreme time‑pressure environments. This role provides leadership through technical expertise, commercial judgement and calm decision‑making, ensuring programmes are protected from supply, quality and delivery risk.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead procurement of complex, safety critical or high risk/high value technical components.
• Diagnose and resolve supply, quality or technical failures, often under extreme time pressure.
• Anticipate risks across the supply chain and intervene early to prevent disruption (quality cost or delivery timeline).
• Act as a trusted technical and commercial partner to senior engineering or rally raid/race programme stakeholders.
• Uphold the highest technical purchasing standards and expectations, and lead by example through the highest standards of business behaviour and capability.
• Maintain oversight of pricing, lead time, supplier commitments and invoice resolution for critical components.
• Ensure purchasing data accurately reflects technical, commercial and delivery reality.
• Coach and support buyers and technical buyers, raising overall team capability.

Who are we looking for?

Our ideal candidate will have extensive experience in technical purchasing within motorsport or advanced engineering, with a high level of drawing literacy and specification interpretation capability. You will have a deep practical understanding of relevant manufacturing processes and constraints and be highly credible and trusted by engineers and suppliers. A strong working knowledge of ERP or purchasing systems in fast‑paced technical environments is essential, along with proven experience delivering under extreme time pressure and ambiguity. Decisive, composed and resilient under pressure, you will take accountability for difficult decisions and lead through expertise, judgement and example.

What can we offer you?

• An attractive salary which will grow in line with your ongoing development and impact
• 25 days holiday (which increases with long service) with an opportunity to purchase up to 15 extra days
• Training opportunities for continuing professional development
• Car and pension salary sacrifice schemes
• Paid time off for volunteering
• Consultations with our Fit 4 Life expert
• Social events throughout the year
• Exclusive company discounts
• Life assurance

We are an equal opportunities employer

At Prodrive we are committed to attracting and nurturing the best talent and creating an inclusive workplace. We value individual differences and diversity amongst all staff so that everyone has the widest opportunities to maximise their potential. We aim to ensure that no job applicant is placed at a disadvantage by practices or requirements which disproportionately impact protected groups and which are not justified by the demands of the job. If you feel you are right for this role, we welcome your application.