Senior Buyer - Mechanical, Precision Manufacturing & Composites

Cambridge Aerospace; Cambridge; Presencial; GBP 60.000 - 90.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Competitive compensation and stock opt

Private Medical & Dental

Cycle to work scheme

Lunchtime catering on site

Descripción de la vacante

Cambridge Aerospace is seeking a Senior Buyer - Mechanical, Precision Manufacturing & Composites to lead procurement of composite materials and high-precision manufacturing needs. You will translate requirements into supplier agreements delivering value, quality and continuity of supply.

Based at Cambridge, you will support day-to-day purchasing, manage RFQ/tender processes, and coordinate with stakeholders across the business while traveling occasionally.

Formación

• Strong experience as a Buyer or Senior Buyer in a high precision production environment.
• Experience running RFQs or tenders, evaluating supplier proposals and negotiating terms.
• Understanding of purchase orders, SOWs, subscriptions, licences, services agreements.
• Ability to prioritise, make decisions quickly and deliver results at pace.
• Strong numerical/analytical skills for clear commercial comparisons.

Responsabilidades

• Manage end-to-end sourcing for manufacturing categories, from market research to purchase or contract placement.
• Support Product Development procurement, progressing approved orders and coordinating with suppliers.
• Define scope, specs, service levels, budgets and evaluation criteria with stakeholders.
• Obtain quotations, perform comparisons and negotiate price, terms and lead times.
• Coordinate supplier onboarding, due diligence and internal approvals.
• Monitor delivery/performance and address commercial issues.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate suppliers and reduce costs.
• Support spend analysis and category plans with the Category Manager - Indirect.

Conocimientos

RFQ management

Tender evaluation

Supplier negotiation

Data analysis

Educación

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

CIPS qualification in progress

Herramientas

ERP systems

Spend analysis tools

e-procurement

Descripción del empleo

As Senior Buyer - Mechanical, Precision Manufacturing & Composites at Cambridge Aerospace, you will lead the procurement of composite materials and high-precision manufacturing requirements, ensuring a resilient, cost-effective, and high-performing supply base.

Partnering with stakeholders across the business, you will translate approved requirements into well-managed supplier agreements that deliver commercial value, quality, and continuity of supply. You will also support the day-to-day purchasing activities for high-precision manufacturing operations, ensuring orders are placed accurately and delivered on time. Supporting multiple company sites, this role offers broad exposure across the organisation and will involve occasional business travel.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end sourcing activity for all assigned manufacturing categories, from requirement clarification and market research through RFQ or tender, evaluation, negotiation, recommendation and purchase or contract placement.
• Support the operational needs of Product Development by processing and progressing approved orders, coordinating with requestors and suppliers, and helping resolve delivery, pricing or order-related issues.
• Work with stakeholders to define scope, specifications, service levels, delivery expectations, budgets and evaluation criteria before approaching suppliers.
• Obtain competitive quotations, conduct commercial comparisons and negotiate price, payment terms, service levels, lead times, renewal terms and other relevant conditions.
• Coordinate supplier onboarding, due diligence and internal approvals, ensuring no commitment is made before the required procurement and financial controls are complete.
• Monitor supplier delivery and service performance, resolve commercial issues and support structured reviews and improvement actions.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate suppliers, standardise requirements, reduce cost, improve terms and increase use of preferred suppliers.
• Support the Category Manager - Indirect with spend analysis, category plans, sourcing pipelines, market intelligence, supplier risk and stakeholder updates.

Requirements

• Strong experience as a Buyer or Senior Buyer managing goods used in a high precision production environment.
• Demonstrable experience running competitive RFQs or tenders, evaluating supplier proposals and negotiating commercial terms.
• Good understanding of purchase orders, Statements of Work, subscriptions, licences, services agreements and recurring supplier commitments.
• Take ownership of all tasks, effectively prioritising workload, making informed decisions, and delivering results at pace.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to build clear commercial comparisons and recommendations.
• Organised and accurate, with effective prioritisation across multiple stakeholders and sourcing activities.
• Confident communicator who can challenge requirements constructively and maintain positive stakeholder relationships.
• Practical, proactive and comfortable working in a fast-growing environment where processes continue to evolve.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in defence, aerospace, manufacturing, engineering, technology or another regulated environment.
• Experience sourcing IT, SaaS, professional services, facilities, recruitment, travel or other corporate services.
• Working knowledge of supplier due diligence, data protection, information security and contract-risk considerations.
• CIPS qualification, progress toward CIPS, or equivalent procurement training.
• Experience using ERP, e-procurement, contract-management or spend-analysis tools.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation and stock options
• Private Medical & Dental
• Cycle to work scheme
• Lunchtime catering on site

About Us

The mission of Cambridge Aerospace is to eliminate the risk of existential war in Europe. That risk comes from the air - low-cost drones and cruise missiles now manufactured in colossal volumes by our adversaries, ballistic missiles capable of ending the world as we know it, and a new generation of hypersonic weapons that evade every existing defence.

We are building low-cost interceptors that defeat these threats, and the surveillance systems to detect and target them - at a cost taxpayers can afford, at the pace the threat demands, and with sovereign supply chains that assure delivery.

We have immense backing from the world's best venture funds. We are one of the fastest growing defence technology companies in history. And we are hiring the best people to prosecute the mission.

If you are in the top 1%, willing to work harder than you ever have, build capability better than anyone else, and contribute to the defining challenge of our time, now is the time to join us.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you are excited about this role but do not meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.