Senior Buyer

JR United Kingdom; Bedford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence and security organization near Bedford seeks a Senior Buyer to support strategic procurement activities. The role involves managing supplier delivery for critical programmes, negotiating contracts, and ensuring procurement efficiency. Candidates should have strong procurement experience, excellent negotiation skills, and be eligible for SC clearance. Competitive salary of up to £55,000 and hybrid working options are offered.

Benefits

Up to £55,000 salary

Excellent progression and career development

4-day working week

Qualifications

• Proven track record in a Buyer/Senior Buyer/Procurement Officer role.
• Blend of Indirect and Direct procurement experience.
• Eligible for SC clearance.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic procurement activities across engineering categories.
• Manage supplier delivery for critical defence programmes.
• Handle RFQs, tenders, and contract negotiation.

Skills

Strong procurement experience

Commercial and negotiation skills

Supplier delivery management

Understanding of contract management

Proficiency in MS Office

SAP experience

Tools

SAP

Job description

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• Up to £55,000 salary with hybrid working
• 4-day working week (Monday to Thursday)
• SC clearance required – work on high-impact national programmes
• Based near Bedford with excellent career growth and variety

ABOUT THE CLIENT:

Our client is a key player in the defence and national security sector, delivering complex engineering and manufacturing solutions to high-profile UK and international programmes. With a reputation for technical excellence and a people-first culture, this is a fantastic opportunity to join a forward-thinking organisation offering genuine work-life balance. Due to continued expansion across multiple projects, we are looking for a Senior Buyer to support activity across all stages of the product lifecycle.

THE BENEFITS:

• Up to £55,000 salary
• Excellent progression and career development

THE SENIOR BUYER ROLE:

You’ll support strategic procurement activities across a broad range of engineering and operational categories. This will include managing supplier delivery for critical defence programmes and ensuring procurement is efficient, compliant and cost-effective. Working across both Direct (e.g. PCB, cables, components) and Indirect (e.g. CAPEX, services, facilities) procurement, you’ll handle everything from RFQs and tenders to contract negotiation and supplier performance management.

SENIOR BUYER ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

• Strong procurement experience within a similar Buyer / Senior Buyer / Procurement Officer role
• A blend of Indirect and Direct procurement experience
• Understanding of build-to-print, COTS and MOTs procurement
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills
• Able to manage supplier delivery against technical, cost and schedule targets
• Confident working cross-functionally with engineering, quality and operations teams
• Understanding of contract management, risk, and compliance
• Proficiency in MS Office – SAP experience is a bonus
• Must be eligible for SC clearance

TO BE CONSIDERED:

Please either apply through this advert or email me directly via [emailprotected] . For further information please call me: 0203 854 0120 / 07889 589 648. By applying for this role, you give express consent for us to process and submit (subject to required skills) your application to our client in conjunction with this vacancy only.

KEY SKILLS:

Senior Buyer, Procurement, Supply Chain, Indirect Buying, Direct Procurement, Defence, COTS, MOTs, Build to Print, Contract Management, SAP, SC Clearance, NSD