Senior Buyer - Reactor Vessels

Rolls-Royce SMR; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 55,125; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 12.5% bonus

Pension: 12% employer / 6% employee

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance: 6× pensionable pay

Home Office Support: £250

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR is seeking a Senior Buyer – Reactor vessels to lead sourcing and commercial activity within our siteworks and operations procurement function.

You will collaborate with Programme, Construction, Engineering, Operations and Commercial teams to shape requirements and build a robust, scalable supply chain in a regulated, safety-critical environment.

Qualifications

• Proven procurement operations experience in infrastructure or construction.
• Strong commercial acumen with tenders and supplier negotiations.
• Experience in complex, regulated or safety-critical industries.
• Ability to interface across cost, programme and supply chain.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement sourcing and category strategies aligned to programme cost, schedule and quality.
• Lead end-to-end procurement activity including pre-qualification, RFx, tender evaluation, negotiation and contract award.
• Build and manage a resilient supplier base across siteworks and operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to shape requirements and influence early design decisions.
• Provide clear commercial insight and robust recommendations.
• Ensure governance, compliance and documentation standards are applied.
• Manage supplier performance and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Procurement operations

Commercial acumen

Regulated industry experience

Cross-functional collaboration

MCIPS (or working towards)

Job description

Pay Range

£42,000.00

Our mission is to deliver clean, affordable energy for all. Rolls-Royce SMR provides a British solution to a global energy challenge, leading the way in Small Modular Reactor technology and shaping the UK’s premier green export opportunity.

Our Procurement function plays a critical role in building the supply chain capability required to deliver our first-of-a-kind SMR and future global fleet. Within this, Siteworks & Operations procurement is key to enabling site readiness, infrastructure delivery and operational capability across our programme.

In this context, we’re looking for a Senior Buyer – Reactor vessels to lead sourcing and commercial activity in this specialist area. You’ll work closely with Programme, Construction, Engineering, Operations and Commercial teams to shape requirements, influence early decisions and ensure a robust, scalable and high-performing supply chain. Reporting into the Procurement Manager, you’ll play a key role in establishing strong supplier partnerships, driving value and supporting the delivery of a safe, efficient and predictable programme.

We’ll Need You To

• Develop and implement sourcing and category strategies aligned to programme cost, schedule and quality requirements.
• Lead end-to-end procurement activity including pre-qualification, RFx processes, tender evaluation, negotiation and contract award.
• Build and manage a resilient and scalable supply base across siteworks, infrastructure, enabling works and operational services.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional stakeholders to shape requirements and influence early-stage design and delivery decisions.
• Provide clear commercial insight, translating technical and market information into robust recommendations.
• Ensure governance, compliance and documentation standards are consistently applied across procurement activities.
• Manage supplier performance, identifying risks, opportunities and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the development of procurement processes, tools and ways of working as the function scales.

You’ll Bring

• Proven experience in procurement operations, infrastructure or construction-related environments.
• Strong commercial acumen with hands‑on experience delivering competitive tenders and negotiating supplier agreements.
• Experience working in complex, regulated or safety‑critical industries such as energy, nuclear, infrastructure, aerospace or defence.
• Ability to work across technical and commercial interfaces, including cost, programme and supply chain considerations.
• MCIPS (or working towards) is desirable.

Location & Ways of Working

This role can be based from our Derby, Manchester or Warrington offices, with hybrid working and regular engagement with stakeholders and suppliers.

What’s In It for You?

The salary for this role is £44,600 – £55,150, dependent on the skills, experience and values you bring.

You’ll Also Receive

• Bonus: Up to 12.5% (performance related)
• Personal Benefits Allowance: £2,200
• Pension: 12% employer / 6% employee
• Holidays: 28 days + public holidays (option to buy/sell up to 5/4 days)
• Private Medical Insurance: BUPA
• Life Assurance: 6× pensionable pay
• Home Office Support: £250 one off payment for new starters

We offer a flexible, inclusive and supportive working environment, with opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling organisation. We value diversity, innovation and continuous learning.

Pay Range

£42,000.00

£55,125.00

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

• A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we'll let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch – we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.