Purchasing Group Leader - FCAS

BAE Systems.; Carnforth; Hybrid; GBP 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor in the UK is seeking a Purchasing Group Leader to support sourcing and strategic activities within the Future Combat Air Systems program. The role involves negotiation, supplier risk management, and mentoring team members. Candidates should possess strong negotiation skills, a continuous improvement mindset, and relevant experience in procurement. A competitive salary package along with extensive benefits, including flexible working arrangements, is offered.

Benefits

Pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and wellbeing benefits

Private health plans

Shopping discounts

Annual incentive eligibility

Qualifications

• Experience of price and contractual terms negotiations.
• Validated examples of driving improvement in a procurement environment.
• Ability to compile data and propose recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Support sourcing and strategic activity for supply chain requirements.
• Influence supply strategies for cost-effective solutions.
• Mentor a small team and support cross-functional collaboration.

Skills

Negotiation and influencing skills

Continuous Improvement mindset

Understanding of supplier risk

Working understanding of ERP systems

Data compilation and interpretation

Mentoring experience

Education

MCIPS or equivalent professional qualification

Degree in a business-related subject

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job Title

Purchasing Group Leader - Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS)

Location

Warton - We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary

£56,766+ (DOE)

What you'll be doing

• Support all sourcing and strategic activity for the defined supply chain requirements including negotiating pricing and contracting terms and conditions as applicable
• Support and influence supply strategies, via continuous improvement, to ensure an affordable, innovative and sustainable solution is being delivered
• Mentor and support Programme Reviews with topical reporting data and work as a part of a cross functional team to interface across the Air business and with other teams and functions, (PM, Project Control, Engineering, Commercial, Finance, Legal)
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the supply chain provision meets the governance requirements of the business and our customers and delivers optimum value for money
• Coordinate Supplier risk and drive supply chain resilience
• Travel to various Suppliers/Partners/Customers as and when required
• Mentor a small team, providing support, escalation, mentorship and development

Your skills and experiences

Essential

• Negotiation and influencing skills with experience of price and contractual terms and conditions negotiations
• A Continuous Improvement mind-set with validated examples of identifying new ideas that drive improvement, problem solving and working collaboratively with others to identify a solution ideally within a Procurement (or similar) environment
• Detailed understanding and experience of supplier risk and opportunity coordinationli>
• Working understanding of tool sets and IT such as ERP systems, Microsoft Office programs particularly in Excel.
• Ability to compile data, interpret and propose recommendations through reports and presentations
• Experience of mentoring a team/sub-ordinates

Desirable

• Previous experience of maintaining strategic Supplier relationships
• Engaging with suppliers in early lifecycle/development phase
• You will have, or be working towards MCIPS or have a similar professional qualification OR hold a degree in a business-related subject (e.g. Economics, Business, Finance)

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 FCAS Technology Development Team

The FCAS Technology Development Team plays a key part in shaping the future combat air capability by maintaining a diverse portfolio of supply chain activity that supports early-stage technology development. The team works closely with internal and external partners, collaborating across Integrated Project Teams to understand programme needs and create effective supply chain approaches. They support Life Cycle Management and programme governance, while coordinating with a range of stakeholders to keep activity aligned, efficient and forward-looking.

The team offers meaningful development opportunities, with support for personal and professional growth. Travel within the UK is expected, with occasional visits to Europe or Japan depending on programme requirements.

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 fulfill 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

10th December 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.