Senior Buyer

Kenton Black; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Kenton Black Limited is seeking a Senior Buyer for construction and life sciences projects in the UK. The role covers full procurement lifecycle from sourcing to contract award, with packages spanning capital equipment, construction trades, and professional services.

You will work closely with project teams, clients and suppliers to ensure commercially robust, compliant procurement aligned with project requirements. Five years in procurement and MCIPS advantage are desirable.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in a project procurement role within the construction industry.
• Good knowledge of construction trade contracts and capital equipment procurement.
• Experience managing procurement packages through the full tender and award process.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to evaluate complex supplier proposals.
• Confident communication and stakeholder management with project teams, clients and suppliers.
• MCIPS qualification is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior representative of the Procurement function, ensuring adherence to internal procedures and standards.
• Represent the business in client-facing discussions and act as a key contact for client procurement teams.
• Support project initiation, including development of project-specific Procurement Execution Plans.
• Identify, research and qualify new contractors and suppliers.
• Evaluate existing suppliers and monitor their suitability for project requirements.
• Manage the tender process from package scope to enquiry, bid evaluation and award.
• Conduct detailed commercial evaluations of supplier and subcontractor proposals.
• Support post-award procurement and package management to meet project requirements.

Skills

Five years procurement experience

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Supplier evaluation

Education

MCIPS (advantageous)

Job description

Senior Buyer - Construction / Life Sciences

Location: Birmingham or Macclesfield

Salary: £50,000-£70,000 + package, dependent on experience

The Opportunity

I'm working with a leading global construction business specialising in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, who are looking to appoint an experienced Senior Buyer to join their EMEA Procurement team.

This is an excellent opportunity to join an established international business and play a key role in delivering complex projects within highly regulated, technically demanding environments.

The Role

As Senior Buyer, you'll manage the full procurement lifecycle for your assigned project packages, from initial sourcing and tendering through to contract award and post-award management.

Your packages will cover a varied range of requirements, including:

• Capital equipment across process, mechanical, electrical, automation and instrumentation disciplines.
• Construction trade contracts.
• Professional services contracts.

Working closely with project teams, clients and suppliers, you'll ensure procurement activities are commercially robust, compliant with company procedures and aligned with individual project requirements.

Key responsibilities will include

• Acting as a senior representative of the Procurement function, ensuring adherence to internal procedures and standards.
• Representing the business in client-facing discussions and acting as a key point of contact for client procurement teams.
• Supporting project initiation, including the development of project-specific Procurement Execution Plans.
• Identifying, researching and qualifying new contractors and suppliers.
• Evaluating existing suppliers and monitoring their suitability for project requirements.
• Managing the tender process from receipt of package scope through to enquiry, bid evaluation and recommendation for award.
• Conducting detailed commercial evaluations of supplier and subcontractor proposals.
• Supporting post-award procurement and package management to ensure project requirements are met.

About You

To be considered, you should have:

• A minimum of five years' experience in a project procurement role within the construction industry.
• Good knowledge of construction trade contracts and capital equipment procurement.
• Experience managing procurement packages through the full tender and award process.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to evaluate complex supplier proposals.
• Confident communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with project teams, clients and suppliers.
• MCIPS qualified or currently working towards the qualification would be advantageous.

Salary & Benefits

£50,000-£70,000 basic salary, dependent on experience.

Additional company benefits and package.