Automotive Senior Buyer

JR United Kingdom; Leicester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive group in the UK is seeking an experienced Senior Buyer to join their procurement team. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in sourcing and managing supplier relationships for innovative automotive projects. This position requires a strong background in procurement within the automotive industry and excellent negotiation and communication skills. The candidate will be responsible for driving the procurement strategies that align with the company’s commitment to quality and excellence, contributing to exciting product launches and improvements.

Benefits

33 Days holiday

Employee Referral Scheme

Qualifications

• Proven abilities in automotive procurement and supplier relationship management.
• Experience in commercial negotiations and category knowledge in automotive commodities.
• Strong organisational skills and proven track record of working in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate contracts for cost savings.
• Ensure continuous supply of required goods and materials, solving supply issues.
• Develop new product strategies with engineering and manufacturing teams.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Leadership

Analytical skills

Business acumen

Education

CIPS Degree

Tools

MRP/ERP systems

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

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The DRVN Automotive Group are recruiting for an experienced Automotive Senior Buyer. You will have a great understanding of the Automotive Engineering industry to join our procurement team, and will play a critical role in sourcing, negotiating, and managing the supply chain for their exciting automotive projects.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in procurement, excellent negotiation and communication skills, and a passion for delivering high-quality products to our customers.

Overview of the Role

• Senior Buyer - Direct
• Holidays: 33 Days holiday
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Location: Coventry CV4

Company Overview

The DRVN Automotive Group are a sector leading automotive group, specialising in the design, manufacture, and distribution of luxury automotive brands, recognised globally for our commitment to innovation, quality, and engineering, centred around a world-class customer experience.

The group have made some major recent announcements to launch some of Ford Motor Company’s most historically significant icons kick starting with the RS200 and MK1 Escort, giving engineers an amazing platform to not only showcase their engineering and design skills across various disciplines, but to work on the most amazing modernisation programmes ever to be seen.

Responsibilities

• Purchase goods, materials, components, or services in line with specified cost, quality, and delivery targets
• Responsible for commercial dealings with suppliers and supporting the Commercial Director in making key commercial decisions
• To support in managing the procurement and expediting of established production and prototype parts within all functions of the business including the Offices, Electronics, Trim Shop, Production, and for low volume manufacturing, including ad hoc scheduled parts
• Ensure continuous supply of required goods and materials and communicate any supply problems which may pose a risk or impact on business operations
• Monitor market trends, competitor strategies and market suppliers
• Responsible for negotiating short-term transactional relationships and long-term strategic contracts with suppliers. Negotiate contracts, improved prices, and terms of business with suppliers and review opportunities to make business savings utilising negotiation and procurement best practice tools and methods
• Will be required to think and act with strong commercial awareness and will use this skill across all functions of the business in an assertive yet professional manner
• Prepare, define, and execute innovative purchasing strategies to deliver the required value
• Stay current and up to date on any changes that may affect the supply and demand of needed products and materials and advise others of any impact on the business
• Manage supplier relationships and evaluate suppliers and undertake performance reviews to ensure contract compliance and manage performance improvement activities
• Negotiation and implementation of service agreements with key suppliers
• To support in service part management and warranty, supporting capital expenditure purchasing activity and site service procurement needs
• Support the ECRs process. (Engineering Change Requests in relation to purchasing)
• To establish and implement a robust schedule of production parts where applicable
• Responsible for planning, supply management, and inventory analysis
• Work on new initiatives to improve supplier relationships and identify best value for money practices
• To develop current and future new product strategies with Engineering and Manufacturing to optimise costs
• To meet the Quality standards as required under ISO9001.
• Proven ability of working as a Senior Buyer within an Automotive or Manufacturing purchasing function
• Category knowledge within a commodity such as Interiors/Exteriors, Engine and Powertrain, Body in White or Electrical commodities
• Strong sense of ‘business acumen’ and analytical skills
• Experience in supplier relationship management, negotiations, and cost down activities
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, along with excellent stakeholder management and relationship management.
• An excellent negotiator with a proven track record of successful commercial negotiations
• Able to manage and execute complex negotiations.
• Ability to demonstrate high organisational skills and continually focus on attention to detail and continuous improvement.
• Evidence of meeting deliverables in a fast-paced working environment
• Strong interpersonal skills, and communication skills both verbal and written.
• Decisive, dynamic, pro-active, and assertive qualities
• IT literate – Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Good knowledge of NPI
• MRP/ERP system experience
• Must have IDLR/ Full right to work in UK- Sponsorship will not be provided.
• CIPS Degree Qualified

Please note we do not provide sponsorships to those who require it and will only accept applications from those who have full rights to work in the UK with no restrictions and IDLR/Full Settlement status. Please provide status on applications.

Our inclusive workplace welcomes and values all candidates from all backgrounds, we believe that diversity enhances our ability to innovate and serve our customers effectively. We are an equal opportunity employer and strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to bring their authentic selves to work. If you require any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.