Senior Strategic Buyer - Direct Materials

Rolls-Royce plc; East Grinstead; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global aerospace and defense company is seeking a Senior Strategic Buyer in East Grinstead. The successful candidate will develop and lead sourcing activities, manage supplier relationships, and conduct market analysis while supporting procurement strategies. This role requires a strong background in strategic sourcing with at least 5 years of experience, along with a certification in supply chain management. The position is full-time with hybrid work options.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Senior Strategic Buyer in a regulated industry.
• Strong understanding of risk management and resilient supply chains.
• Proven track record in contract negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead sourcing activities from proposal to contract signature.
• Manage supplier relationships and evaluate supplier performance.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationship management

Contract negotiation

Market analysis

Risk management

Education

Business Administration or related field

Certification in supply chain management (e.g., CPSM, CIPS)

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

MRP

Job description

Senior Strategic Buyer - Direct Materials page is loaded## Senior Strategic Buyer - Direct Materialslocations: Working from Home UK (RRPS)time type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todayjob requisition id: JR6146319# **Job Description****Senior Strategic Buyer - Direct Materials**Location : East GrinsteadFull time : Hybrid**Job Description**At Rolls-Royce we are proud to be a business that has truly helped to shape the modern world and are committed to always being a force for progress; powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.By joining Rolls-Royce, you'll have the opportunity to work on world-class solutions, supported by a culture that believes individuality is our greatest strength, and all perspectives, experiences and backgrounds help us innovate and enable our high-performance culture.The Senior Strategic Buyer will play a significant role in supporting the Operations team to achieve several key business objectives including, but not limited to, customer satisfaction, on time delivery and optimised inventory levels/lead times. Collaborating closely with teams throughout the business including but not limited to Engineering, R&D, HSQE, Parts and Logistics, Production, Programmes, the Senior Strategic Buyer has the responsibility for ensuring an adequate flow of direct materials is maintained to ensure reliable on-time delivery of finished goods for all customers.**What you will be doing:*** Develop and lead sourcing activities from proposal to contract signature, to include negotiation, performing cost analysis by creating Total Cost or Acquisition/ Product Cost Lifecycle Models, and building business cases to select high performing supplier’s that meet the Rolls-Royce cost, quality, delivery, sustainability, management, and technology objectives.* Conduct market analysis to identify potential suppliers and assess market trends.* Lead contract management, including drafting, negotiating, and finalising agreements with suppliers to ensure compliance and optimise terms.* Manage the process of Identifying, assessing, and mitigating commercial risks within the supply chain to ensure continuity and resilience.* Develop & implement continuous improvement/cost optimization programmes for key (direct material) suppliers* Working with the relevant functions and stakeholders to lead and contribute to building and maintaining category strategies within the designated category to draw value for Rolls-Royce, whilst keeping up to date with key market trends and technologies.* Experience of managing supplier relationships and in contract supplier management, including supplier performance management, leading cost reduction activities, and resolving commercial issues.* Evaluate supplier performance and implement improvement plans as necessary.* Developing and coordinating measures to address disruptions in procurement (delivery delays, discontinuations, market shortages, obsolescence)* Supporting Global sourcing activities.* Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies with business goals.* Work closely with engineering, production, and quality teams to ensure material specifications and requirements are met.* Assist and support HSQE/3rd party auditors with desktop and supplier audits as and when required.* Lead new strategic procurement activities / E2E processes of new parts (with other internal stakeholder’s support) up until release of parts.* Good understanding of Quality Standards* Defence standards, contracts and awareness of Defence requirements**Position Qualifications*** Successfully completed studies in Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a comparable qualification (Certification in supply chain management (e.g., CPSM, CIPS) - with minimum 5 years experience of working as a Senior Strategic Buyer in a regulated or complex industry demonstrating strong experience in strategic sourcing as well as managing supplier relationships and in-contract supplier management.* A strong understanding of risk management and building a resilient supply chain.* Proven track record of successful negotiations, coupled with strong commercial and financial skills with an understanding of Total Cost of Acquisition/Product Cost Lifecycles and associated levers/analytics.* Experience of reviewing and drafting contracts as well as good technical understanding.* highly proficient in IT systems, including Microsoft Office, SAP, MRP and relevant job role required business systems.* Willingness to travel frequently to other Rolls Royce sites and to suppliers sites as well**Preferred requirements:*** Excellent communication, influencing, relationship management skills with focus on drawing value for the company.* Be able to develop, interpret, analyse and present complex statistical data appropriate to the audience.* Ability to work independently under pressure and react quickly to changing priorities, ability to balance immediate/long term priorities, well organized, self-motivated and able to multitask.* Passion to drive change and make a difference combined with ability to solve complex problems, demonstrating digital awareness and analytical capability.* Driving Licence & Passport - Full and Clean Driving Licence.* Willingness to travel frequently to other Rolls Royce sites and to suppliers sites as wellPower Systems is the Rolls-Royce business which provides world-class power solutions and complete life-cycle support under our product and solution brand *mtu*. Through digitalisation and electrification, we strive to develop drive and power generation solutions that provide answers to the challenges posed by the rapidly growing societal demands for energy and mobility.We deliver and service comprehensive, powerful and reliable systems, based on both gas and diesel engines, as well as electrified hybrid systems. These technologically advanced solutions serve our customers in the marine and infrastructure sectors worldwide.Our vision is to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that shaped our history continues into our future. Our multi-year transformation programme aims to turn Rolls-Royce into a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing company. Join us, and it can be your future vision too.Rolls-Royce are committed to being a respectful, inclusive, and non-discriminatory workplace where individuality is valued, diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and everyone can thrive.# **Type of Contract**Permanent