Operational Buyer

Safran; Cwmbran; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Safran Seats in the United Kingdom is seeking an External Supply Planner to oversee ERP-based supply plans with external suppliers and ensure material availability to support production requirements. You will address risks, capacity constraints, and schedule adherence while focusing on tactical supplier management and supply continuity.

As part of the External Supply Chain team, you will monitor supplier performance, maintain accurate data in dashboards, and collaborate with cross-functional

Qualifications

• Experience with ERP systems and material scheduling.
• Production or material scheduling in regulated industry.
• Experience tracking supplier capacity and delivery performance.
• Experience in supply chain risk management.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Stakeholder management across functions.

Responsibilities

• Interpret and action MRP outputs to create, adjust, and expedite purchase orders and supplier schedules.
• Resolve discrepancies between ERP plans and supplier commitments.
• Lead order error resolution for supply base.
• Monitor accurate and timely PO acknowledgements and delivery confirmations from suppliers.
• Be the first point of contact for daily operational matters with assigned suppliers.
• Communicate changes to schedules, volumes, or priorities to suppliers within planning horizons.
• Escalate persistent delivery issues or risks to the External Supply Manager and Strategic Purchasing counterpart.
• Support and resolve invoice queries.
• Assess supplier capacity vs. forecast and identify shortfalls or bottlenecks early.
• Support contingency planning and capacity recovery activities with manager and suppliers.
• Document and track risk mitigation actions.
• Track supplier On-Time Delivery, responsiveness, and delivery quality.
• Maintain supplier performance dashboards and KPIs.
• Support supplier reviews with data and insights.
• Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to align material plans with assembly requirements.
• Inform internal stakeholders of delivery plans and exceptions.
• Maintain ERP planning parameters and lead times.
• Support root cause analysis of MRP discrepancies and system errors.
• Identify and propose process improvements for supplier collaboration and ERP usage.
• Participate in lean or supply chain improvement initiatives.

Skills

ERP experience

Material scheduling

Supplier performance

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Multi-priority

Education

APICS CPIM/CSCP

Tools

Lean DNA

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the fields of aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space and defense. Its mission is to contribute sustainably to a safer world, where air transport becomes ever more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible.

Present on every continent,Safran was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense sector in TIME magazine's "World's Best Companies 2025" ranking. With more than one million seats installed across the fleets of the world's leading airlines, Safran Seats is one of the global leaders in passenger, crew, aircraft and helicopter seating, delivering innovative, high value-added solutions.

Join Safran Seats as our External Supply Planner, overseeing the execution of ERP-based supply plans with external suppliers, and ensuring timely material availability to support production requirements while actively addressing risks, capacity limitations, and adherence to schedules. The External Supply Chain Planner is responsible for executing ERP-driven supply plans with external suppliers, ensuring material availability to meet production needs while proactively managing risks, capacity constraints, and schedule adherence. This role focuses on the tactical and operational dimensions of supplier management (not commercial negotiation) and plays a critical part in ensuring supply continuity, performance monitoring, and alignment with the production plan. You'll be a member of the External Supply Chain team, part of the wider Supply Chain function.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

ERP Supply Plan Execution

• Interpret and action MRP outputs to create, adjust, and expedite purchase orders and supplier schedules.
• Resolve discrepancies between ERP plans and supplier commitments.
• Lead order error resolution for supply base.
• Monitor accurate and timely PO acknowledgements and delivery confirmations from suppliers.

Supplier Coordination

• Be the first point of contact for daily operational matters with assigned suppliers.
• Communicate changes to schedules, volumes, or priorities to suppliers within agreed planning horizons.
• Escalate persistent delivery issues or risks to the External Supply Manager and Strategic Purchasing counterpart.
• Support and resolve invoice queries.

Capacity & Risk Management

• Assess supplier capacity vs. forecast and identify shortfalls or bottlenecks early.
• Support contingency planning and capacity recovery activities in collaboration with the manager and suppliers.
• Document and track risk mitigation actions.

Supplier Performance Monitoring

• Track supplier On-Time Delivery (SOTD), responsiveness, and delivery quality.
• Maintain accurate supplier performance data in relevant dashboards and KPIs.
• Support and attend regular supplier reviews with data and insights.

Planning Collaboration

• Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders (production planning, logistics, inventory control, supplier performance, quality, after market) to ensure full alignment of material plans with final assembly requirements.
• Inform internal stakeholders of confirmed delivery plans and exceptions.

Data and System Maintenance

• Maintain accurate ERP planning parameters (e.g. lead times, lot sizes, safety stock levels).
• Support root cause analysis of MRP discrepancies and system errors.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and propose process improvements to enhance supplier collaboration, ERP usage, and supply planning efficiency.
• Participate in lean or supply chain improvement initiatives as needed.

Knowledge, Experience, Training and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• A good understanding, and experience working with an ERP System, particularly material scheduling.
• Production or material scheduling experience in technically complex and highly regulated industry.
• Familiarity with supplier capacity and delivery performance tracking.
• Supply Chain risk management experience including reduction and assessment of risks.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Stakeholder management

Desirable Skills

• Competent Microsoft user inc. Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement tools.
• Experience in aviation or aerospace manufacturing.
• Experience of using a supplier two way system such as Lean DNA or other business intelligence tools.
• APICS CPIM / CSCP or similar supply chain qualification.