Senior Strategic Buyer

Rolls-Royce; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering company is seeking a Senior Strategic Buyer to develop procurement strategies and manage supplier relationships. In this hybrid role, you will negotiate contracts, assess risks, and lead sourcing activities across various categories. Ideal candidates will have experience in strategic sourcing, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to drive change. This position offers a competitive opportunity in a transformative environment.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Senior Strategic Buyer in a regulated or complex industry.
• Understanding of Total Cost of Acquisition/Product Cost Lifecycles.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead sourcing activities from proposal to contract.
• Manage supplier relationships and in-contract supplier management.
• Identify and mitigate commercial risks within the supply chain.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationship management

Negotiation

Risk management

Analytical capability

Education

Degree in a relevant field or CIPS qualification

Job description

Job Description

Senior Strategic Buyer

Full Time

Derby/Hybrid

Why join Rolls-Royce?

At Rolls-Royce we are proud to be a business that has truly helped to shape the modern world and we are committed to always being a force for progress; powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere. By joining Rolls-Royce, you’ll have the opportunity to work on world-class solutions, supported by a culture that champions inclusivity, creativity, and your professional growth.

Position Summary

In this dynamic role, you’ll be at the forefront of creating our procurement strategies, selecting top tier suppliers, negotiating optimal deals, finalising contracts, and managing the contracts to ensure a high performing supply chain which is vital to our business performance and overall success.

Our Procurement team plays a critical role in the success of our business – sourcing everything from engine components and aftermarket services to IT systems and catering. We have opportunities across our Aerospace, Aftermarket, and Indirect Procurement teams, with roles focused on both strategic sourcing and in-contract management.

What you will be doing

• Developing and leading sourcing activities from proposal to contract signature, to include negotiation, performing cost analysis by creating Total Cost or Acquisition/ Product Cost Lifecycle Models, and building business cases to select high performing suppliers that meet the Rolls-Royce cost, quality, delivery, sustainability, management, and technology objectives.
• Leading contract management, including drafting, negotiating, and finalising agreements with suppliers to ensure compliance and optimise terms.
• Managing the process of Identifying, assessing, and mitigating commercial risks within the supply chain to ensure continuity and resilience.
• Working with the relevant functions and stakeholders to lead and contribute to building and maintaining category strategies within the designated category to draw value for Rolls-Royce, whilst keeping up to date with key market trends and technologies.
• Managing supplier relationships and in contract supplier management, including supplier performance management, leading cost reduction activities, and resolving commercial issues.

Position qualifications

• A degree in a relevant field or CIPS qualification- with experience of working as a Senior Strategic Buyer in a regulated or complex industry demonstrating strong experience in strategic sourcing as well as managing supplier relationships and in-contract supplier management. You will need to have an understanding of risk management and building a resilient supply chain.
• Proven track record of successful negotiations, coupled with strong commercial and financial skills with an understanding of Total Cost of Acquisition/Product Cost Lifecycles and associated levers/analytics.
• Excellent communication, influencing, relationship management skills with focus on drawing value for the company.
• Passion to drive change and make a difference combined with ability to solve complex problems, demonstrating digital awareness and analytical capability.
• Experience of reviewing and drafting contracts.

Our vision is to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that shaped our history continues into our future. Our multi-year transformation programme aims to turn Rolls-Royce into a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing company. Join us, and it can be your future vision too.

Rolls-Royce are committed to being a respectful, inclusive, and non-discriminatory workplace where individuality is valued, diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and everyone can thrive.

As part of our selection process, candidates in certain locations may be asked to complete an online assessment, which can include cognitive and behavioural aptitude testing relevant to the role. If required, full instructions for the next steps will be provided.

Job Category

Procurement

Posting Date

14 Jan 2026; 00:01

Posting End Date

06 Feb 2026