Senior Buyer

Caudwell Marine; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Office in Coventry

5-day working week

Job summary

Caudwell Marine in Coventry is seeking a Senior Buyer to drive procurement and supply chain activities across the business, supporting cost-effective operations and supplier performance. You will source suppliers, negotiate contracts, and lead cost-reduction initiatives with cross-functional teams.

Reporting to the Procurement Manager, the role requires strong experience in powertrain components, TCO, and ERP/MRP systems, with a focus on delivering value and resilience in a marine-engineering

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience within Procurement and Supply Chain in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience sourcing and managing powertrain components and related tooling.
• Strong knowledge of TCO and supplier contract negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop potential suppliers and build long-term partnerships.
• Negotiate supplier contracts and commercial terms aligned to company conditions.
• Own supplier nomination process and monitor performance for cost/quality/delivery.
• Support Lean principles, PPAP/APQP with Supplier Development teams.
• Develop and implement supplier performance metrics.

Skills

Procurement

Supply chain management

Powertrain sourcing

Negotiation

TCO methodology

MRP systems

Excel

Education

Degree or equivalent

Tools

MRP systems

Job description

Caudwell Marine is a pioneering UK marine engineering company, backed by entrepreneur and philanthropist John Caudwell. We are redefining marine propulsion through the development of a diesel outboard system built for uncompromising performance, reliability and control in all conditions, with a global product launch planned for 2026. As a growing and ambitious business, we are focused on delivering cutting-edge technology designed for the toughest marine environments and turning innovation into real-world impact.

At Caudwell Marine, every team member plays an important role in shaping the future of the company. Our approach is built around being confident, committed and consistent in everything we do. Driven by endurance and powered by people, we are building a team that sets high standards and is helping redefine the future of marine propulsion.

Role & Responsibilities

The Senior Buyer, reporting to the Procurement Manager, will play a key role in procurement and supply chain activities across the business, supporting the delivery of Caudwell Marine's overall operational and commercial objectives. The role will work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, and other cross-functional teams to establish and maintain a stable, efficient, and cost-effective supply chain across assigned commodities or segments. The successful candidate will be responsible for supplier sourcing, contract negotiation, cost management, supplier performance, and delivering long-term cost reduction initiatives while ensuring supply chain resilience and operational excellence.

Responsibilities include:

• Identify and develop potential suppliers, building mutually beneficial long-term partnerships.
• Collaborate with Engineering and cross-functional teams to assess and nominate suppliers based on current and future business requirements.
• Negotiate competitive parts and tooling costs using Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) methodology.
• Negotiate supplier contracts and commercial terms in line with company General Purchase Conditions.
• Own the formal supplier nomination process to develop a stable and effective supply chain.
• Monitor supplier performance and expedite parts where necessary to support business operations and customer requirements.
• Develop suppliers to meet key business metrics including cost, quality, delivery performance, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct supplier assessments both remotely and onsite.
• Support implementation of Lean principles, Best in Class Quality standards, PPAP, and APQP processes in collaboration with Supplier Development teams.
• Participate in BOM-wide Value Add and Value Engineering activities.
• Develop and implement supplier performance metrics covering commercial, quality, and delivery performance.
• Monitor supplier adherence to Engineering Change Notification (ECN) and Process Change Notification (PCN) systems.
• Support the development and execution of Supply Chain Strategy.
• Support execution of cost reduction roadmaps, Product Lifecycle Management activities, and BOM systems.

Required Skills & Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience within Procurement and Supply Chain in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing supply chains involving powertrain suppliers would be highly advantageous.
• Experience sourcing and managing commodities including powertrain components, machined parts, castings, forgings, fabrications, injection mouldings, rubber and metal components, and A-surface parts.
• Strong understanding and practical application of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) methodology.
• Minimum 2 years' experience within a blue-chip manufacturing or engineering organisation operating automotive-level procurement and supply chain processes.
• Experience working within a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) environment would be beneficial.
• Proven experience reviewing and negotiating supplier contracts.
• Strong understanding of procurement and supply chain principles in both theory and practice.
• Experience developing collaborative supplier relationships to improve performance and reduce cost.
• Commercially astute with the ability to analyse market trends and challenge supplier cost breakdowns.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, and experienced using MRP systems.

Personal Attributes

• Consistent, confident, and committed approach to work.
• High levels of integrity and professionalism.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively at all levels.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently or collaboratively within a team.
• Customer and market-focused with a results-driven, proactive approach.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Proven relationship-building capability.
• Process-oriented mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Analytical and data-driven approach to decision making.
• Determined to achieve the best possible commercial and operational outcomes for the business.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified or equivalent by experience.

Additional Information

• Location: Coventry.
• Standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm.
• Hybrid working arrangement with three days in the office, including a mandatory office day on Wednesdays, and two days working from home.
• Flexibility may be required in line with business needs.
• 5-day working week.

Disclaimer

Caudwell Marine operates a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for recruitment agencies, which is currently not under review. Agencies not on our PSL are kindly requested to refrain from submitting speculative CVs or contacting our hiring managers or employees directly regarding recruitment matters.

Please note that any CVs submitted by non-PSL agencies, whether speculative or otherwise, will be treated as unsolicited.