Strategic Buyer - Networks

Eaton; South Molton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation and benefits

Challenging projects in dynamic team

Great company benefits

Internal promotion opportunities

Eaton University learning & dev

Wellbeing and safety focus

Job summary

Eaton is seeking a Strategic Buyer - Networks for its South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield facilities. The role focuses on managing complex procurement across regional supplier networks, balancing demand with capacity, and ensuring alignment with network plans to protect supply continuity.

The position collaborates with site Procurement, Operations, Planning and Quality, and requires a Bachelor's degree or equivalent, plus minimum two years of procurement experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in business, supply chain, engineering, or related discipline.
• Minimum two years of relevant procurement or supply chain experience.
• Willingness to travel ~30% to supplier sites and Eaton facilities.

Responsibilities

• Balance demand with supplier capacity across South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield, ensuring alignment with approved network plans.
• Procure parts and services with complex or custom requirements, managing POs and supplier commitments.
• Lead material forecast collaboration, secure capacity commitments and address supplier constraints.
• Coordinate supplier moves, ramp-up/down, and engage in governance for risk and compliance.

Skills

Procurement experience

Supplier management

ERP/MRP knowledge

Data analysis

Travel willingness

Stakeholder communication

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

The Strategic Buyer - Networks is the operational procurement partner for the South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield facilities. The role manages complex and custom procurement requirements across the regional supplier network, balancing customer demand with supplier capacity, cost, quality, delivery and technical requirements. The position owns key supply chain activities including purchase order execution, inbound volumes, forecasts, capacity commitments, supplier performance, transitions and non-standard or non-repeat requirements. The role works closely with site Procurement, Operations, Planning, Quality, Engineering, Accounts Payable, Commodity Management and commercial teams to protect continuity of supply and support customer delivery. What you'll do:

• Balance current and future demand requirements against supplier capability and capacity across South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield, ensuring purchasing schedules align with approved demand and network plans. Procure parts and services with complex or custom requirements, including non-standard, non-repeat and low-volume requirements, while meeting applicable quality, specification, delivery and compliance expectations. Manage purchase orders and supplier commits, including expediting, de-expediting, cancellation and recovery activity, to close gaps between the current plan and customer requirements. Lead material forecast collaboration with suppliers, secure capacity commitments and elevate material availability or supplier constraints through the appropriate site and network governance. Source and develop suppliers, support tender preparation, evaluate commercial proposals and negotiate pricing, terms, conditions and long-term agreements in partnership with Commodity Management.
• Manage supplier and in-site transitions, including supplier moves, gate reviews, ramp-up and ramp-down activity, using agreed risk assessment and governance processes. Coordinate technical procurement activity for controlled or undisclosed programmes, ensuring engineering specifications and purchasing requirements are received, validated and communicated through authorised processes. Work with Quality to coordinate the return, rework, replacement or exchange of defective material and ensure actions protect production and customer delivery. Coordinate with Accounts Payable and suppliers to resolve invoice, billing, credit and receiving issues that could interrupt supply or damage supplier relationships. Analyse ERP, MRP and supplier data; prepare clear reports, risks, recommendations and recovery plans; and present outcomes to site, regional and senior leadership. Support operational tier reviews, cross-site reviews and supplier performance meetings, ensuring actions have clear ownership and due dates.
• Collaborate with commercial teams on Aftermarket quotation activity and ensure procurement assumptions, lead times and supplier constraints are understood. Provide training, coaching and practical support to buyers and less experienced colleagues, promoting consistent regional processes and ways of working. Work within applicable export control, trade compliance, ethical sourcing and company policy requirements. Travel approximately 30% to suppliers or Eaton facilities, primarily supporting South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield regional requirements. Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant professional experience in business, supply chain, engineering, operations or a related discipline.
• Minimum two years of relevant experience in procurement, manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, operations or a combination of these functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional procurement or supply chain qualification, for example CIPS, APICS or equivalent.
• Two or more years of procurement or supply chain experience in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment.

Skills

• Demonstrable experience managing suppliers, purchase orders, delivery recovery and commercial issues in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Word.
• Ability to travel approximately 30% to suppliers and Eaton sites and to work effectively across the South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield facilities.
• Proven analytical, planning and problem-solving capability, with a structured approach to risk, root cause and recovery.
• Ability to work in a matrix organisation and deliver results through influence, relationships and process discipline.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication, including the ability to present risks, decisions and recommendations to senior leaders.
• Strong commercial judgement and confidence in supplier negotiation and performance management.
• Ability to prioritise multiple requirements across facilities while maintaining attention to detail and timely follow-through.
• Commitment to teamwork, continuous improvement, ethical conduct and inclusive working practices.
• Right to work in the United Kingdom. Join Eaton and be a part of our commitment to providing impactful, energy-efficient solutions that shape a sustainable future. At Eaton, we make what matters work, and we're dedicated to fostering a workplace where ethics, inclusion, diversity, and our people are at the forefront.

Nestled in the heart of Devon, UK, the South Molton plant is home to a team of over 400 talented professionals, driving excellence in aerospace manufacturing. With a proud history dating back to 1973, this facility has grown into a powerhouse of precision engineering, delivering high-quality components to some of the world's most renowned aerospace brands.

• Competitive compensation and benefits package
• Challenging projects in dynamic collaborative team
• Great company benefits
• We make your aspirations matter - Eaton encourages internal promotion, whenever possible
• We make your growth matter - We invest in our employees for the long term - not just with salary and benefits, but with ongoing learning and development opportunities made available through Eaton University
• We make your contributions matter - reliability, safety, efficiency, and sustainability are at the core of our dedication to improving people's lives and the through power management technologies
• We make your wellbeing matter - We put your health and safety first. Wellness at Eaton is more than a program, it's about changing the environment by offering the right tools to help empower employees to make that happen