Buyer

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

7% performance-related bonus

Benefits allowance

Pension 12% / employee 6%

Holidays 28 days + holidays

Private medical insurance

Life assurance 6× pensionable pay

Home-office setup payment

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited is seeking a Buyer to support sourcing and procurement across siteworks, civils and operations, delivering cost, quality and schedule outcomes. You will run end-to-end procurement activities, engage suppliers, and help develop category strategies that drive value, governance and compliant contracting in a regulated engineering context.

Hybrid working from Manchester or Warrington with travel as needed, offering a competitive package and opportunities to contribute to a

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement within manufacturing engineering automotive, aerospace, defence.
• Exposure to significant or complex project environments, ideally within regulated or engineering-led sectors (e.g., energy, nuclear, infrastructure, rail, construction).
• Experience supporting delivery and operational procurement, including logistics and project-based requirements.
• Understanding of collaborative working arrangements and construction contracts, with exposure to negotiation processes.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience running competitive tenders and supporting supplier negotiations.
• Confidence working with technical specifications, cost breakdowns and supplier performance data.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, able to work effectively with operational, technical and commercial teams.

Responsibilities

• Support sourcing and category activity across siteworks, civils and operations spend areas, ensuring delivery against cost, quality and schedule requirements.
• Run end-to-end procurement activities including RFQs/RFPs, evaluations, negotiation preparation, contract placement and supplier onboarding.
• Support the development of the supply base—identifying opportunities for cost efficiency, delivery improvement and supplier optimisation across construction and operational services.
• Work closely with stakeholders across Programme Delivery, Engineering and Operations to ensure early engagement and accurate requirements capture for major projects.
• Assist in implementing category strategies that drive standardisation, value for money and improved risk management across siteworks and logistics contracts.
• Analyse commercial, technical and market data to support recommendations and decision-making.
• Maintain high standards of governance, compliance and documentation throughout the procurement lifecycle.
• Contribute to continuous improvement across processes, reporting, supplier performance management and contract frameworks.

Skills

Procurement experience

Stakeholder engagement

Tendering

Supplier negotiations

Cost data analysis

Education

MCIPS (desirable)

Job description

Rolls‑Royce SMR is on a mission to deliver clean, affordable energy for all. As the UK’s leading Small Modular Reactor programme, we’re building a British solution to a global energy challenge and shaping one of the country’s most significant green export opportunities. Our Procurement function is foundational to delivering our first SMR and enabling future fleet deployment. To support this, the role will support increasing workload with HVAC, accelerate supplier onboarding activities, and improve tracking and reporting of key procurement and supply chain metrics. The Buyer will run sourcing activity, manage purchase orders and support supplier engagement across a diverse, high‑value and operationally critical portfolio. Reporting into the Procurement Manager, this role will support the creation of commercial strategies, deliver procurement activity and help build a scalable, efficient supply base across siteworks, civils and operational categories.

What you’ll be doing

Support sourcing and category activity across siteworks, civils and operations spend areas, ensuring delivery against cost, quality and schedule requirements.

Run end‑to‑end procurement activities including RFQs/RFPs, evaluations, negotiation preparation, contract placement and supplier onboarding.

Support the development of the supply base—identifying opportunities for cost efficiency, delivery improvement and supplier optimisation across construction and operational services.

Work closely with stakeholders across Programme Delivery, Engineering and Operations to ensure early engagement and accurate requirements capture for major projects.

Assist in implementing category strategies that drive standardisation, value for money and improved risk management across siteworks and logistics contracts.

Analyse commercial, technical and market data to support recommendations and decision‑making.

Maintain high standards of governance, compliance and documentation throughout the procurement lifecycle.

Contribute to continuous improvement across processes, reporting, supplier performance management and contract frameworks.

What you’ll bring

Experience in procurement within manufacturing engineering automotive, aerospace, defence.

Exposure to significant or complex project environments, ideally within regulated or engineering‑led sectors (e.g., energy, nuclear, infrastructure, rail, construction).

Experience supporting delivery and operational procurement, including logistics and project‑based requirements.

Understanding of collaborative working arrangements and construction contracts, with exposure to negotiation processes.

Strong commercial awareness with experience running competitive tenders and supporting supplier negotiations.

Confidence working with technical specifications, cost breakdowns and supplier performance data.

Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, able to work effectively with operational, technical and commercial teams.

MCIPS (or working towards) is desirable but not essential.

Location & Ways of Working

This role can be based from our Manchester (or Warrington) office. Hybrid working is standard, with regular weekly office attendance expected. Some travel may be required depending on supplier and business activity.

What’s in it for you?

Salary: £31,875 – £39,375 depending on experience and benefits include:

• 7% performance‑related bonus
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 to build a personalised package
• Pension – 12% employer, 6% employee
• Holidays – 28 days + public holidays (option to buy/sell up to 4 days)
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA
• Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay £250 one‑off home‑office setup payment

Pay Range: £30,000.00 - £39,375.00

Why Join Us?

• A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check

Rolls‑Royce SMR – insights and culture

We are Rolls‑Royce SMR A career with Rolls‑Royce SMR offers a unique opportunity to contribute to an exciting organisation delivering a transformational mission. Rolls‑Royce SMR is a radically different approach to proven nuclear technology. Each Rolls‑Royce SMR power station will generate 470MW of low‑carbon energy - equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines and enough to power a million homes for over 60 years. With its Rolls‑Royce SMRs will play a vital role in supporting renewable energy by helping to overcome intermittency and ensure a stable, sustainable energy future. We’re proud to be one of the few employers that can genuinely say we’re a strengths‑based organisation. Our people are here because of what makes them exceptional - and our role is to help them make the most meaningful contribution of their careers, doing work they love. We offer opportunities that go beyond traditional career paths. At Rolls‑Royce SMR you can develop your career by exploring roles and challenges that align with your unique talents.

Our culture At Rolls‑Royce SMR, we are committed to ensuring that our teams reflect the communities we serve and that everyone can be themselves at work. We know that diverse teams are more innovative and get better results, and that our people can thrive and be more successful in truly inclusive cultures. Join us and help shape our culture. Find out more about our inclusion pledge.

Rolls‑Royce SMR is a place where everyone can grow, so whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day and help shape our culture.