Buyer

SAFRAN UK; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Safran UK is seeking a Buyer to manage sourcing and purchasing across assigned commodities, focusing on cost, quality, delivery, service, risk and sustainability. You will handle end-to-end procurement, from strategy development to tendering, contracting and supplier performance management.

You will lead negotiations, drive continuous improvement, and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure early involvement in sourcing and strong supplier relationships across the UK.

Qualifications

• Experience in Purchasing or procurement environment.
• Knowledge of tendering and contract management.
• Strong commercial and numerical skills analyzing quotations and supplier proposals.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and stakeholder management.
• Understanding of commercial contracts and supplier management.
• Highly organised with ability to handle multiple priorities.
• Proactive in data accuracy and system usage.

Responsibilities

• Lead UK-level RFQ, RFP and tendering activities with focus on Total Cost of Ownership.
• Manage end-to-end purchasing lifecycle and P2P processes.
• Develop and implement commodity sourcing strategies.
• Monitor supplier performance against KPIs and drive corrective actions.
• Identify cost savings, risk mitigation and value-improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with Legal and internal stakeholders on pricing, SLAs and protections.
• Support sustainability. digital transformation and AI in Purchasing.

Skills

Purchasing experience

Procurement processes

Commercial analysis

Negotiation & stakeholder mgmt

Contract management

Organisation & prioritisation

ERP & digital literacy

English communication

Education

CIPS qualification

Supply Chain qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

About the Role

The Buyer is responsible for managing sourcing and purchasing activities across assigned commodities, ensuring business requirements are met through the optimum balance of cost, quality, delivery, service, risk and sustainability.

The role manages the end-to-end purchasing lifecycle, from development of purchasing strategies, market resource, competitive tendering, negotiation and contracting, supplier performance management and ongoing contract management.

Safran - Here, we craft excellence together.

At Safran, excellence is a journey - and we'd love you to be a part of it. As a trusted global leader in aerospace, defence, and space, we are proud to be a company where diversity, innovation, and opportunity come together to shape a sustainable future where we can all succeed together through a shared vision.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct UK-level spend analysis, market intelligence and benchmarking across assigned commodities to identify sourcing opportunities, efficiencies, risks and areas for consolidation.
• Support the operational Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) process, including raising and maintaining purchase orders, resolving PO and invoice queries, and ensuring purchasing data remains accurate and up to date.
• Develop and implement commodity and sourcing strategies aligned with business and Group Purchasing objectives.
• Lead RFQ, RFP and competitive tendering activities, evaluating proposals based on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), commercial competitiveness, risk and overall value.
• Identify and deliver cost savings, cost avoidance and value-improvement opportunities, supported by effective negotiation strategies.
• Lead commercial negotiations and contract management, working with Legal and stakeholders to establish appropriate pricing, service levels, liabilities, performance obligations and commercial protections.
• Identify, assess and manage supplier and commercial risks, including financial, operational, contractual, capacity and business continuity risks.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, challenging requirements where appropriate and ensuring Purchasing is engaged early in the sourcing process.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance against agreed commercial, quality, delivery and service KPIs, driving improvement and corrective actions where required.
• Proactively manage commercial and contractual issues and disputes, escalating material risks where appropriate.
• Support sustainability and CSR objectives through sourcing decisions, supplier selection, contracting and supplier management.
• Drive continuous improvement, digital transformation and appropriate use of AI to improve Purchasing processes, data quality, efficiency and decision-making.
• Maintain accurate purchasing, supplier and contract data within relevant business systems.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• Demonstrable experience within a Purchasing, Procurement or commercial environment.
• Good knowledge of procurement methodologies and sourcing processes, including tendering, supplier selection and contract management.
• Strong commercial and numerical skills, with the ability to analyse quotations, costs and supplier proposals.
• Strong negotiation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Good understanding of commercial contracts, contractual risk and supplier management.
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities and sourcing activities independently.
• Self-motivated and resilient, with the ability to take ownership of activities through to commercial closure.
• Experience using ERP, purchasing or procurement information systems, with good general digital capability.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

Desirable

• CIPS qualification, working towards CIPS, or an equivalent procurement/commercial qualification.
• Relevant Business, Procurement or Supply Chain qualification, or equivalent professional experience.
• Project management experience, particularly involving cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience within an industrial, manufacturing or aerospace environment.
• Experience of strategic sourcing, supplier development and continuous improvement.