Senior Buyer - Interiors

McLaren Automotive Limited; Woking; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Enhanced pension

Discretionary annual bonus

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Sabbatical after 2 years of service

Lifestyle perks (discounts)

Wellbeing initiatives

Employee assistance programme

Mortgage/financial advice

Job summary

McLaren Automotive Limited is seeking a Senior Commodity Buyer to set strategic direction for interior supplier sourcing, ensuring access to the best technology at the lowest total cost while mitigating risk.

You will lead category strategies, supplier identification and negotiations, collaborating with Engineering, Quality, Production, Finance, and Legal to drive value and strong supplier performance across multi-million pound portfolios.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• MCIPS qualification desirable.
• Proven experience in procurement within automotive or manufacturing.
• Strong commercial background and negotiation skills.
• Experience managing multi-national suppliers and delivering complex contracts.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and organizational skills.
• Results-driven, delivery-focused, and able to work autonomously.
• Ability to lead and energize teams, promote best practice, and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.
• Passion for purchasing and innovation.
• Strong attention to accuracy and detail.
• Self-motivated and ambitious, with a desire to progress within McLaren.

Responsibilities

• Develop and update Category Strategies on critical commodities aligned with Technology Roadmaps and future product plans.
• Lead supplier identification, selection, and relationship management with key suppliers, ensuring McLaren is a customer of choice.
• Lead on supplier nominations with collaborative cross functional support.
• Negotiate, execute, and monitor complex contractual agreements with strategic suppliers and ensure McLaren’s commercial position is protected.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Production, Finance, and Legal to deliver aligned strategies and robust supplier performance.
• Demonstrate expertise in supplier processes, cost drivers, and industry trends.
• Prepare and deliver annual plans for cost reduction and supplier claims minimization on multi-million pound direct-spend portfolios.
• Deputize for the Manager as required and support team development.

Skills

Procurement experience

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Autonomy

Leadership

Supplier management

Contract management

Influencing

Attention to detail

Innovation mindset

Education

Degree in Business/Engineering or related field

MCIPS qualification desirable

Job description

Reporting to the Procurement Manager, the Senior Commodity Buyer sets the strategic direction for supplier sourcing within their commodity area - Interior, ensuring McLaren accesses the best technology at the lowest achievable total cost while minimizing risk. The role is a model for procurement professionalism and best practice.

What You’ll Do

The Senior Commodity Buyer is accountable for the following key activities:

• Develop and update Category Strategies on critical commodities aligned with Technology Roadmaps and future product plans.
• Lead supplier identification, selection, and relationship management with key suppliers, ensuring McLaren is a customer of choice.
• Lead on supplier nominations with collaborative cross functional support.
• Negotiate, execute, and monitor complex contractual agreements with strategic suppliers and ensure McLaren’s commercial position is protected.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Production, Finance, and Legal to deliver aligned strategies and robust supplier performance.
• Demonstrate expertise in supplier processes, cost drivers, and industry trends.
• Prepare and deliver annual plans for cost reduction and supplier claims minimization on multi-million pound direct-spend portfolios.
• Deputize for the Manager as required and support team development.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Business, Engineering, or related field preferred; MCIPS qualification desirable.
• Proven experience in procurement within automotive or manufacturing.
• Strong commercial background and negotiation skills.
• Experience managing multi-national suppliers and delivering complex contracts.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and organizational skills.
• Results-driven, delivery-focused, and able to work autonomously.
• Ability to lead and energize teams, promote best practice, and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.
• Passion for purchasing and innovation.
• Strong attention to accuracy and detail.
• Self-motivated and ambitious, with a desire to progress within McLaren.

What We’ll Do for You

We offer a wide - ranging benefits package, which includes:

• 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
• Enhanced company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus award
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance benefit
• Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years’ service
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• Generous parental leave policies
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice

Who Are We?

No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks.

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.