Senior Buyer

Amentum; Gloucester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free medical cover

Digital GP service

Enhanced parental leave

Employee assistance programs

Job summary

Amentum is seeking a Senior Buyer to join our team in Theale or Bristol, operating in a hybrid model with at least one day in the office per week. The role focuses on end-to-end procurement, tendering, and supplier relationship management to support defence and environmental projects.

You will lead negotiations, develop RFQ processes, and implement category strategies while ensuring compliance with governance and delivery timelines. Strong NEC contract awareness is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Proven capability in a procurement team handling negotiation, contracts and purchase orders.
• Experience in a project-based environment with demanding programme requirements.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Knowledge of procurement laws and standards relevant to operations management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for internal/external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end procurement activities from requisition to contract award and PO placement.
• Lead tendering with pre-qualification, evaluation, negotiation, and award recommendations.
• Develop bid lists and RFQ documents; manage RFQ processes per procedures.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies for assigned work packages and categories.
• Evaluate bidder responses and support supplier selection with rationale for decisions.
• Negotiate terms, pricing, delivery, and service levels with suppliers and subcontractors.

Skills

Negotiation

Supplier management

Procurement

Communication

Project experience

Education

MCIPS / MRICS desirable

Tools

Oracle

SAP

MS Office

Job description

At Amentum, we're not just solving problems; we're engineering the future. Our team is driven by an unyielding commitment to innovation, integrity, and collaboration, tackling some of the most significant challenges in science, security, and sustainability. If you're passionate about making a real impact and want to be part of a community that values ethical excellence, this is the place where your ambition can thrive.

Here, we believe that success comes from continuously pushing boundaries and working together to deliver on our promises. We embrace challenges with confidence and are dedicated to creating a secure and vibrant future for all.

We'll inspire and empower you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed - today and into tomorrow. We offer an exciting range of opportunities to develop your career within a supportive and diverse team who always strive to do the right thing for our people, clients and communities.

People are our greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent.

In addition to the benefits you'd expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for us.

About the Opportunity

Amentum delivers innovative and sustainable solutions for complex environmental challenges and energy needs. We excel in areas such as environmental remediation, restoration, and compliance, ensuring the safe management of hazardous materials and contaminated sites.

We are committed to advancing energy initiatives providing expertise in renewable energy development, energy efficiency, and resilience projects. By leveraging advanced technologies and a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, Amentum helps clients achieve environmental stewardship and energy sustainability, contributing to a safer, cleaner future while supporting mission-critical operations.

Within the defence sector, Amentum has an essential role in the UK's continuous at-sea deterrent. We're also active in naval infrastructure and shipbuilding, and in procurement and operational delivery across the whole of the UK Ministry of Defence.

We are currently seeking a Senior Buyer to join our team in Theale or Bristol (Hybrid working with an expectation of at least one day a week in the office or on-site).

Key Accountabilities:

• Manage end-to-end procurement activities from requisition through to contract award and purchase order placement
• Lead tendering exercises, including pre-qualification, tender evaluation, negotiation, and recommendation for award including the rationale behind recommendation.
• Development of bid lists and assembling of Requests for Quotations (RFQ's) and Managing the RFQ process in line with procurement procedures
• Develop and implement procurement strategies for assigned work packages and categories.
• Evaluating bidder responses to the RFQ documents
• Making shortlist recommendations to the Supply Chain Manager and operational teams highlighting distinguishing factors and risks between the different suppliers and the rationale behind recommendations
• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing, delivery schedules and service levels with suppliers and subcontractors Conducting final negotiations with the preferred supplier(s) and preparing (sub)contracts / purchase orders in compliance with the governance procedures.
• Monitoring supplier performance, delivery, quality, and cost against contractual commitment.
• Manage claims/change orders and assist with the resolution of supply issues.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with suppliers, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders.
• Provide procurement advice and guidance to project teams.
• Reviewing invoices for accuracy.
• Liaising with the operational team to assist with the resolution of supply issues
• Where appropriate, establish long term supplier relationships focusing on value for money, service & product quality and continuous improvement to drive competitive advantage for the business

Here's What You'll Need

• Proven capability of working within a procurement team carrying out procurement activities including negotiation, production of (sub)contracts/purchase orders documents and process compliance
• Experience working in a project-based environment with demanding programme requirements.
• Proven negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Extensive knowledge of commercial procurement laws and standards as they relate to amentum's operations management and operational delivery.
• Communications: has excellent communications and writing skills. Is able to effectively author contractual commitment documents, as well as internal and external communications.
• Systems: uses computer in support of supply management including supply management software (Oracle / SAP etc) and MS Office software including the use of excel or other tool to carry out basic data analysis
• Working knowledge of NEC contracts and commercial principles
• Three (3) to five (5) years experience in supply management or related fields preferably in an R&D / specialist laboratory type setting
• MCIPS / MRICS desirable

Our Culture

Our values are built on a strong foundation of safety, integrity, and respect for every individual. People are at the heart of our mission, and we believe in supporting one another through a culture of care and collaboration. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. Supporting mental wellbeing and fostering a sense of connection are essential to how we work.

When we embrace different perspectives and work together, we become more innovative, more agile, and more successful.

We partner with VERCIDA, for greater online accessibility, please visit to view and access our roles. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team.