Principle Supply Chain Manager

BAE Systems.; Camberley; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor is seeking a Strategic Procurement Manager to focus on supplier development and future technology enablement. You will gather market insights, maintain industry links, and support strategic programs. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in regulated sectors, strong communication skills, and a proactive mindset. Competitive benefits include health plans, share options, and a flexible work environment.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and lifestyle benefits

Qualifications

• Proven experience in complex, highly regulated sectors.
• Strong focus on supplier development and market engagement.
• Polished communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the future technology roadmap by gathering market insights.
• Maintain strategic links with industry and monitor supply chain risks.
• Build and maintain agile access to the wider supply base.

Skills

Strategic supply chain experience

Supplier development

Risk management

Proactive mindset

Communication skills

Job description

Job Title: Strategic Procurement Manager

Location: Frimley, Portsmouth, Barrow, Coventry, Weymouth, Bristol - We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary: Circa £80,000 - depending on skills and experience

What you'll be doing:

• Drive Future Technology Enablement: Support the future technology roadmap by gathering market insights, identifying innovation trends, and engaging suppliers on capability development
• Intelligence & Risk Management: Maintain strategic links with industry, academia, and central teams to monitor supply chain risk, lead intelligence-gathering initiatives, and implement assurance activities on high-risk suppliers
• Expand Supplier Ecosystem: Build and maintain agile access to the wider supply base by mapping new markets, fostering relationships with academia and adjacent industries, and engaging regularly with transactional suppliers
• Support Strategic Programmes: Deploy engagement strategies for key programmes, support strategic planning, and ensure supplier readiness aligned to future programme needs
• Lead SME Development Initiatives: Act as the SME point of contact across the business unit, break down barriers for SMEs entering defence, and run collaborative development workshops to integrate next-generation technologies
• Contribute to Sustainable & Ethical Supply Chain Practice: Monitor compliance with sustainability codes, including the prompt payment code, and support supply chain inclusion, diversity, and responsible innovation initiatives

Your skills and experiences:

• Proven strategic supply chain experience, with a strong focus on supplier development, risk management, and market engagement rather than logistics or operations.
• Industry background in complex, highly regulated sectors.
• Polished communication and presentation skills, capable of representing the organisation professionally in supplier meetings and strategic discussions.
• A proactive and forward-thinking mindset, able to identify new market opportunities, bring in fresh suppliers, and support innovation across the supply base.

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Supply Chain team:

As a Strategic Procurement Manager, you will play a strategic role focused on supplier development, future technology enablement, and market engagement. This is not a logistics or operational delivery role - it is centred on shaping the supplier ecosystem, gathering market intelligence, supporting innovation, and influencing long-term sourcing strategies across major programmes. You'll act as a key interface between the business and external market to ensure resilience, innovation, and agility in the future supply base.

This role offers the opportunity to challenge established ways of working and question default supplier choices, creating space to introduce new suppliers and innovative technologies that can enhance performance across the enterprise. It is particularly well-suited to someone bringing experience from outside the submarine domain, offering fresh perspective and the ability to influence positive change by disrupting long-standing assumptions. The role also provides a strong platform for career progression within a high-profile and strategically important area of the business.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you'll be able to make a real difference. You'll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you'll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 22nd August 2025 - We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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