Lead Buyer - Information Technology

MBDA; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Pension: employer/employee up to 14%

Overtime: paid

Flexi Leave: up to 15 days

Flexible working

Enhanced parental leave

Facilities: car parking

Job summary

MBDA in Stevenage is seeking an IT Buyer to take on a Lead Buyer role, handling indirect IT procurement across the UK and Europe. You will build relationships with suppliers and work with cross-functional teams to shape IT spend.

The position offers hybrid working (2/3 on-site), competitive salary (£45k-£55k), and clear development paths toward MCIPS qualifications within a dynamic defence tech environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in IT procurement or indirect purchasing.
• Ability to manage suppliers and stakeholder expectations.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead IT procurement projects across the Group.
• Collaborate with Category Managers and IT teams.
• Prepare and execute supplier contracts and negotiations.

Skills

IT procurement

Indirect procurement

Stakeholder management

Supplier relations

Job description

Stevenage

Are you a IT Buyer looking for a Lead Buyer role? Are you looking for an international role? Are you an Indirect Buyer with an interest in technology looking for your first role in IT Procurement?

If so, come and join our IT procurement team!

Salary: Circa £45,000 - £55,000 depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 2/3 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you:

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…

The opportunity:

Are you an IT Buyer looking for a Lead Buyer role? Are you looking for an international role working in the UK and Europe? Are you an Indirect Buyer with an interest in technology looking for your first role in IT? Are you looking to expand your existing knowledge and skills? Are you looking to work flexibly and dynamically with a role that better suits your lifestyle but gives you a professional challenge?

Come and join our IT procurement team!

• We lead all aspects of IT spend across the Group: Enterprise Software, Engineering Software, Manufacturing Software, SaaS (software as a service), Services, Cyber, Networks, Hardware, Security, AI, High Performance Computing etc.
• There is an opportunity to specialise in one area, to develop into new ones, and we encourage our people to broaden their knowledge over time.

If you have skills in any of these areas, or is looking to move into IT procurement then we would be pleased to discuss how you might best fit within the team! We are looking for someone who:

• Either is an established IT procurement practitioner or
• Someone willing to learn and develop these skills who already has a good procurement knowledge in other Indirect categories

More importantly, we are looking for someone:

• Comfortable working in an international context
• Builds internal and international relationships and
• Able to own and run large procurement projects to support our Category Managers

What we're looking for from you:

• Someone who understands IT procurement, or is comfortable with learning and developing these skills
• Soft and communication skills
• A Buyer looking for the next stage in their IT career or an established Indirect Buyer looking to move into their first role in IT Procurement.
• Travel and international working is part of the role
  • There are regular quarterly team meetings that rotate between our sites in the UK, Germany, Italy or Paris
  • For specific projects there may also be travel required for stakeholder or supplier meetings in these Natco's

Ideally we would like someone willing to or working towards MCIPS qualification. We do offer routes towards MCIPS qualification.

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity and more…

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.