Global Senior Commodity Buyer - Direct Material

GKN Aerospace; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace company is seeking a Global Senior Commodity Buyer based in Birmingham. The role involves managing procurement strategies and supplier relations, ensuring the delivery of cost-effective solutions. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's degree, 3-5 years experience, and strong negotiation skills. This position offers opportunities for professional growth and development in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

42 paid holidays

8% holiday allowance

Excellent pension scheme

Profit sharing scheme

Qualifications

• 3-5 years experience in Category Management or Commodity Buying.
• Ability to lead negotiations and make strategic decisions.
• Fluency in English; Dutch is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage procurement expenditure and product services.
• Support the development of category strategies.
• Lead and coordinate supplier negotiations.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Project management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in STEM or Supply Chain

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

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Global Senior Commodity Buyer - Direct Material, Birmingham

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Client:

GKN Aerospace

Location:

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

-

EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

555a30d1fad4

Job Views:

5

Posted:

12.08.2025

Expiry Date:

26.09.2025

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Job Description:

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

As Category Buyer you are responsible for managing procurement expenditure and product related services as directed by the Category Manager, which must include maintaining Strategic Relationships with existing and future Suppliers , whilst ensuring requirements are met on time and in accordance with the appropriate quality standards, delivering a highly capable and cost effective supply base, focus must be on the implementation of the Category Procurement Strategy, and support to the category management teams and other areas of Supply Chain management when required.

You will support the relevant category management products and services for all operating sites globally on behalf of the relevant site, programme and function. The role entails operating with a high degree of autonomy, whilst being an effective member of the commodity management team, delivering cost effective solutions for all global sites. A key element of the role is to ensure the category management strategy is aligned to the individual site and programme requirements, whilst ensuring ultimate value generation for the business. There will also be a requirement to support category management projects on behalf of the wider GKN Aerospace business, relevant site and programme.

Job Responsibilities

• The Category Buyer will be responsible for supporting strategic sourcing for the relevant Category within the region and ensue to maximise leverage of goods and items procured , reporting to the Global Category Manager :
• Support the commodity team to meet or exceed profit plan goals related to commodities including: Cost Savings, economics, working capital, quality, supplier rationalisation, Low cost sourcing and other agreed objectives.
• Take Leadership when required for commodity activities in coordination with costing and engineering to drive a competitive advantage for GKN Aerospace.
• Support in the development, of category strategies for the relevant commodities
• Ensure self develop in the field of Procurement
• Support and prepare the Make or Buy decisions, prepare data and plans for relevant commodity gate reviews.
• Support efforts concerning supply base rationalization and supplier development.
• Ensure Leveraging synergies across the GKN global network.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree ideally in STEM subjects or Supply Chain, Business, or comparable experience in supply chain management and aerospace fields.
• 3 - 5 years Buyer, Category Management, or Commodity experience within Aerospace/automotive industry preferred.
• Ability to interact with people of different levels inside/ outside the company and to operate within a team to reach team goals and business objectives.
• Ability to communicate in a manner appropriate to different levels of people & to lead and close out negotiations.
• Willingness to take full responsibility for decisions & results even when all elements are not under individual direct control.
• Experience in implementing industry leading best practices.
• Ability to empower others to achieve results through motivation, recognition and performance feedback.
• Ability to recognize, respond to customer expectations with sense of urgency
• Ability to set goals consistent with company objectives and to adapt plans to changing environment.
• Proven ability in strategy deployment
• Excellent leadership skills
• Proven ability to motivate and co-ordinate in a multi-functional environment
• Proven project management techniques
• Excellent communication skills – including first class reporting techniques
• Substantive commercial, negotiation and financial skills
• Business Consciousness
• Aware of Business Ethics and an excellent influencer
• Interpersonal sensitivity
• Fluent English, both written and spoken. Dutch is an advantage
• Open to travel for about 25% of working time

What we'll offer

We are committed to offer you a challenge but also a great opportunity to learn and grow. We want to offer you a career that can go to many directions thanks to our breadth of international opportunities. By being part of GKN Fokker Aerospace that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry, you will know that you will be working towards being the most trusted partner in the aerospace industry. We will support and promote your professional and personal development.

Furthermore, we will offer you:
• The role is in Grade M, depending on your experience and qualifications and according to the CLA Metalektro,
• 8% holiday allowance,
• 42 paid holidays for full-time employment in line with the Collective Labor Agreement Metalektro (29 holidays and 13 ADV days),
• An excellent pension scheme (PME) and travel allowance,
• Profit sharing scheme,
• A pleasant and informal working environment, in which we work together to achieve the best result for our customers.

Next to a competitive package, we will offer you a world of opportunities: we want to see your career fly! We will support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities.

How to apply

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We arethe place where human dreams, plus humanendeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.

#LI-GD1

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

As Category Buyer you are responsible for managing procurement expenditure and product related services as directed by the Category Manager, which must include maintaining Strategic Relationships with existing and future Suppliers , whilst ensuring requirements are met on time and in accordance with the appropriate quality standards, delivering a highly capable and cost effective supply base, focus must be on the implementation of the Category Procurement Strategy, and support to the category management teams and other areas of Supply Chain management when required.

You will support the relevant category management products and services for all operating sites globally on behalf of the relevant site, programme and function. The role entails operating with a high degree of autonomy, whilst being an effective member of the commodity management team, delivering cost effective solutions for all global sites. A key element of the role is to ensure the category management strategy is aligned to the individual site and programme requirements, whilst ensuring ultimate value generation for the business. There will also be a requirement to support category management projects on behalf of the wider GKN Aerospace business, relevant site and programme.

Job Responsibilities

• The Category Buyer will be responsible for supporting strategic sourcing for the relevant Category within the region and ensue to maximise leverage of goods and items procured , reporting to the Global Category Manager :
• Support the commodity team to meet or exceed profit plan goals related to commodities including: Cost Savings, economics, working capital, quality, supplier rationalisation, Low cost sourcing and other agreed objectives.
• Take Leadership when required for commodity activities in coordination with costing and engineering to drive a competitive advantage for GKN Aerospace.
• Support in the development, of category strategies for the relevant commodities
• Ensure self develop in the field of Procurement
• Support and prepare the Make or Buy decisions, prepare data and plans for relevant commodity gate reviews.
• Support efforts concerning supply base rationalization and supplier development.
• Ensure Leveraging synergies across the GKN global network.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree ideally in STEM subjects or Supply Chain, Business, or comparable experience in supply chain management and aerospace fields.
• 3 - 5 years Buyer, Category Management, or Commodity experience within Aerospace/automotive industry preferred.
• Ability to interact with people of different levels inside/ outside the company and to operate within a team to reach team goals and business objectives.
• Ability to communicate in a manner appropriate to different levels of people & to lead and close out negotiations.
• Willingness to take full responsibility for decisions & results even when all elements are not under individual direct control.
• Experience in implementing industry leading best practices.
• Ability to empower others to achieve results through motivation, recognition and performance feedback.
• Ability to recognize, respond to customer expectations with sense of urgency
• Ability to set goals consistent with company objectives and to adapt plans to changing environment.
• Proven ability in strategy deployment
• Excellent leadership skills
• Proven ability to motivate and co-ordinate in a multi-functional environment
• Proven project management techniques
• Excellent communication skills – including first class reporting techniques
• Substantive commercial, negotiation and financial skills
• Business Consciousness
• Aware of Business Ethics and an excellent influencer
• Interpersonal sensitivity
• Fluent English, both written and spoken. Dutch is an advantage
• Open to travel for about 25% of working time

What we'll offer

We are committed to offer you a challenge but also a great opportunity to learn and grow. We want to offer you a career that can go to many directions thanks to our breadth of international opportunities. By being part of GKN Fokker Aerospace that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry, you will know that you will be working towards being the most trusted partner in the aerospace industry. We will support and promote your professional and personal development.

Furthermore, we will offer you:
• The role is in Grade M, depending on your experience and qualifications and according to the CLA Metalektro,
• 8% holiday allowance,
• 42 paid holidays for full-time employment in line with the Collective Labor Agreement Metalektro (29 holidays and 13 ADV days),
• An excellent pension scheme (PME) and travel allowance,
• Profit sharing scheme,
• A pleasant and informal working environment, in which we work together to achieve the best result for our customers.

Next to a competitive package, we will offer you a world of opportunities: we want to see your career fly! We will support your career progression by providing you with learning and development opportunities.

How to apply

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We arethe place where human dreams, plus humanendeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.

#LI-GD1

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