Senior Buyer

Cityscape Recruitment; St. Neots; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Hybrid working

26 days annual leave

Job summary

Cityscape Recruitment partners with a leading civil engineering group across England, recruiting a Materials Senior Buyer to join the group purchasing team. You will lead procurement for tender and live projects, secure compliant materials, negotiate value, and build strong supplier relationships.

The role requires a construction-based qualification, CIPS (or working towards), 7+ years in civil engineering purchasing, and strong Excel, PowerPoint and Word skills.

Qualifications

• Construction-based qualification and CIPS accreditation (or working towards).
• Minimum 7 years in civil engineering purchasing.
• Proficient in MS Office, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Full driving licence.
• Track record in reducing external spend and developing supplier base.

Responsibilities

• Deliver purchasing support across tender and live projects.
• Ensure materials meet specification, price, and delivery targets.
• Negotiate with suppliers to achieve best value.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships.
• Collaborate with internal teams to support on time project delivery.

Skills

Procurement

Supplier relations

Negotiation

COINS

SharePoint

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Education

CIPS accreditation (or working towards)

Construction-based qualification

Tools

COINS

SharePoint

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

About the company:

I m recruiting for a privately owned, highly respected company in the Highways, Bridges, and Civil Engineering sector across England. They have built a strong reputation as a trusted partner with clients in Kent, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, the East Midlands, and Yorkshire. The company specialises in S278 and S38 works, as well as construction and maintenance across all types of highways from minor roads to motorways and major route projects. Their expertise also extends to bridge infrastructure, utilities, and rail, with projects often involving significant concrete works, deep drainage, and major earthworks. Known for their exceptional approach to staff wellbeing, the company offers a supportive and positive working environment where employees thrive.

About the opportunity:

Due to continued company expansion, my client is recruiting permanently for a Materials Senior Buyer to become a vital part of the group purchasing team within a long-established civil engineering company. Bringing strong expertise in civil engineering materials procurement and supply chain management, you will work within an experienced department, consisting of the Supply Chain Manager, 3 Regional Buyers and 2 Trainee Buyers. The role focuses on developing and maintaining key supplier relationships while meeting price, delivery, and quality objectives.

As a Senior Buyer, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality purchasing support across tender and live projects, ensuring materials are procured to the correct specification, at competitive prices, and delivered on time. Working closely with the Pre-Contracts Buyer and Supply Chain Manager, you will adopt a proactive and strategic approach to negotiation, develop and maintain strong supplier relationships, and identify new opportunities to improve value and reduce external spend. You will work collaboratively with internal teams, suppliers, consultants, and authorities, using strong technical understanding and effective system use to support efficient purchasing, early engagement with sites, and the successful delivery of projects in line with cost, quality, and programme requirements.

About the benefits and rewards:

This is an exciting opportunity to join a welcoming contractor that offers long-term stability and clear career progression. With an impressively low staff turnover employees stay with the company for an average of 11.5 years it s clear they value, support, and respect their team.

A competitive salary will be offered along with a car allowance. Hybrid working is available along with 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays.

About the requirements:

In order to be considered for this opportunity, you will need a construction-based qualification and CIPS accreditation (or working towards this). Previous experience with COINS or SharePoint is preferred but not required. A minimum of 7 years in civil engineering purchasing or aggregates/waste management is essential. Candidates should demonstrate a high level of competency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, and hold a full driving licence. The role requires a proven track record in controlling and reducing external spend while developing a strong supplier base, alongside the ability to introduce innovative ideas to purchasing activities.