NPI Buyer

Safran S.A.; Howlett Cross; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Safran is seeking an experienced NPI Buyer to lead purchasing for new programmes, coordinating a multi-disciplinary team and managing supplier relationships. You will oversee ~20 vendors across 2-4 projects, with budgets exceeding £1 million per programme, ensuring alignment with DFMs and future product roadmaps.

The role requires strong procurement expertise in a manufacturing context, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to influence across engineering, design and production functions

Qualifications

• Experience in purchasing within manufacturing.
• Strong commercial awareness and supplier negotiation skills.
• Proven ability to liaise with customers or suppliers at varied levels.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple vendors & projects simultaneously.
• Collaborate with cross-functional project teams and internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate sourcing activities and align commodity strategies with future product roadmaps.
• Support Design for Manufacture with early supplier engagement and design evolution reporting.
• Develop and close RFQ / RFP packages with selected supplier panels.
• Identify and resolve supply risks to meet program targets (QCD).

Skills

Purchasing/sourcing

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Job description

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.

Safran Electrical & Power is one of the world's leaders in aircraft electrical systems. It is a key player in the equipment electrification & in the electric and hybrid propulsion sector. Mastering the on-board energy system, the company designs and provides modular, innovative and optimised architectures and solutions.

Your role:

The NPI Buyer plays a lead role in a multi discipline project team, providing the interface with the external Supply Chain pre-production to manage the parts acquisition process for NPI programmes from initial concept, through the design life cycle, industrialization, then to handover of a stable supply chain into production and the Procurement team.

You'll manage and coordinate the Purchasing function for new programmes, managing multiple vendors (approx. 20 per typical project) across 2-4 projects simultaneously. You'll navigate different levels of complexity, with budgets £1Million+ per program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage multiple vendors & projects simultaneously
• Work within cross functional project teams, reporting to internal stakeholders of all levels, liaising with other sites on multi-site programs
• Manage and facilitate all sourcing activity, aligning the core commodity strategies with supplier selection and the future product roadmap for new products and technology being developed
• Ensure deployment of Design for Manufacture (DFM) processes with early supplier engagement, to manage and report design evolution from concept/baseline throughout the NPI phases of prototype and qualification
• Follow a robust methodology, challenging design requirements, potential over engineering and scope creep
• Create, conduct and close RFQ / RFP Packages with Selected Supplier Choice panels
• Risk Analysis – Identification and resolution of supply issues in order to meet business commitments
• Challenge, negotiate, secure and report fulfilment of program targets in terms of Quality, Cost, Delivery (QCD)
• Ensure that the suppliers are able to meet the Safran Quality requirements and where needed, facilitate negotiations between Engineering and Suppliers

What You'll Bring:

• Purchasing/sourcing experience within a manufacturing environment
• Astute commercial awareness
• Proven experience in liaising with customers or suppliers; with a background of negotiation
• Demonstrates healthy and productive influencing ability which can be applied within an engineering /design /manufacturing environment
• Strong interpersonal skills – ability to work with individuals across a range of functions and varying seniority
• motivation to learn, develop and perform in a fast-paced rapid prototype environment
• Experience with metric creations and data presentations, with strong written and verbal communication skills

We know that some candidates may be put off applying for jobs where they don't meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the advert. We encourage anybody to apply if you can demonstrate a variety of skills and experience relevant to the requirements of this role. Please let us know if you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the hiring process that may better facilitate your participation.

We celebrate our differences and believe they make us stronger. We know that a fulfilling work environment is a key driver for innovative ideas and team success.