Purchasing Group Leader - Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS)

BAE Systems; Nog Tow; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace and defense company is seeking a Supply Chain Manager to oversee strategic sourcing and mentoring within the FCAS Technology Development Team. Responsibilities include negotiating contracts, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring optimal supply chain governance. The ideal candidate will have strong negotiation skills, experience in supplier risk coordination, and proficiency in ERP systems. This role offers a competitive salary of £56,766+ and extensive benefits including a pension scheme and private health plans.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and lifestyle benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in price and contractual negotiations.
• Valid examples of problem-solving in a collaborative setting.
• Detailed understanding of supplier risk coordination.

Responsibilities

• Support sourcing and strategic activity for supply chain requirements.
• Mentor a small team in the FCAS Technology Development Team.
• Engage with stakeholders to ensure supply chain governance.

Skills

Negotiation and influencing skills

Continuous improvement mindset

Supplier risk coordination

ERP systems proficiency

Data interpretation and reporting

Mentoring team/subordinates

Education

Degree in business-related subject (e.g., Economics, Business, Finance)

Working towards MCIPS or similar professional qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office (Excel)

Job description

Responsibilities

• 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 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.

Team and Development

Mentor a small team, providing support, escalation, mentorship and development. 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 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.

Qualifications

• 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 coordination.
• 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).

Security and Eligibility

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.

Salary and Benefits

Salary: £56,766+ (DOE). As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, well‑being and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.