Supply Chain Programme Manager

ZipRecruiter; Salterforth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace company is seeking a Supply Chain Programme Manager to oversee customer relationships and enhance production planning. The candidate will need at least 5 years of experience in manufacturing and strong analytical and communication skills. The role is vital in ensuring operational excellence within a purpose-driven organization.

Benefits

Strategic impact on operational processes

Opportunity to work on high-stakes projects

Meritocratic culture promoting integrity and results

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in a customer/supplier facing role in manufacturing.
• Experience in estimating, production planning, and order management.
• Commercial experience with negotiations and contracts.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer relationships to enhance satisfaction and retention.
• Support production planning based on customer orders and forecasts.
• Monitor capacity and capability alignment with production schedules.
• Measure and evaluate operational performance through KPIs.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Strong work ethic

Integrity

Analytical skills

Excellent communication

Multitasking

Education

Degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business and Management or related area

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Production planning software

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Overview

Role: Supply Chain Programme Manager

Location: BB18 6DX, UK

About BUOYANCY AEROSPACE

BUOYANCY AEROSPACE was founded in 2022 to meet the rising demand for solutions in aerospace, space, and defense—markets underserved by a dysfunctional supply chain. We attract the most capable talent with integrity and build and leverage generative AI for digital and physical solutions. We are proud to contribute significantly to the most prestigious and complex aerospace, space, and defense platforms—some under confidential mandates.

We are not a company of promises. With active production facilities in the UK and Germany and a growing workforce of currently >150 employees, we are scaling rapidly, but already delivering to our customers.

Our culture is highly purpose-driven, constantly delivering innovation, exceptional standards, execution. This is a high-performance environment. If you seek meaningful work at the intersection of technology and defense, this is the place for you. Those looking for the comfort of a standard role are discouraged from applying.

The Role: Supply Chain Programme Manager

We are seeking a Supply Chain Programme Manager for the structural airframe components section of BUOYANCY AEROSPACE Ltd, UK. The successful candidate will service the subsidiaries of BUOYANCY AEROSPACE Ltd., BUOYANCY AEROSPACE V1 Ltd in the UK and BUOYANCY AEROSPACE DE GmbH in Germany.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Relationship Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for key accounts, building strong long-term customer relationships, proactively identifying their needs, and ensuring seamless communication between internal teams and the customer.
• Lead regular business review meetings with customers to discuss performance, upcoming demand, and opportunities for collaboration, ensuring alignment of expectations and building long-term partnerships.
• Proactively manage escalations or service issues, coordinating internally to resolve problems quickly and maintaining customer confidence through transparent communication.
• Partner with customers to understand upcoming demand, new program requirements, and business growth opportunities, feeding this intelligence back into quoting, capacity planning, and production strategies.
• Manage customer expectations and drive strategic direction of CRM through new business opportunities with existing/new customers.
• Communicate regularly with customers regarding order status updates, delivery schedules, and any changes or delays in production timelines, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.
• Manage the customer order book, ensuring accurate order entry, order confirmation, and timely delivery of customer orders in accordance with agreed-upon lead times and delivery commitments.
• Commercial responsibilities including contract reviews, negotiation and working on long term agreements.

Production Planning

• Support the development and maintenance of production schedules for milling, turning, assembly, and treatments operations based on customer orders, demand forecasts, and production capacity.
• Coordinate with manufacturing supervisors to align production plans with machine capabilities, staffing levels, and available resources, helping ensure optimal utilization and adherence to delivery schedules.
• Utilize ERP/MRP systems and planning tools to generate work orders and monitor workflow progress, escalating risks or delays to the wider team for resolution.

Capacity and Capability Alignment

• Collaborate closely with manufacturing supervisors to assess machine capabilities, production capacity, and staffing requirements, and adjust production schedules as needed to meet fluctuating demand and prioritize critical orders.
• Conduct regular capacity planning reviews, identify bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to optimize resource allocation and maximize throughput efficiency across the production floor.

Operational Performance Measurement

• Measure Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as machine uptime, cycle time, and output quality to evaluate production efficiency, identify opportunities for improvement, and drive operational excellence.
• Analyze production data, identify trends, and implement strategies to enhance productivity, minimize downtime, and improve overall equipment performance.

Quotations:

• Creation of quotes for specific customer requests.
• Align with Engineering, Manufacturing and Commercial to create quotations.
• Obtain any material and treatment prices.
• Engage directly with customers to clarify technical and commercial requirements, ensuring quotes accurately reflect scope, lead times, and value expectations.
• Provide timely and transparent quotation feedback to customers, strengthening trust and positioning the business as a responsive, solution-focused partner.

Material Procurement:

• Coordinate with internal teams to order and replenish materials, components, and consumables needed to support production demand, ensuring adequate inventory levels while minimizing excess stock and carrying costs.
• Monitor material availability, lead times, and supplier performance, and proactively address any supply chain disruptions or material shortages that may impact production schedules.

Launch of Job Packs:

• Prepare and launch job packs containing detailed work instructions, drawings, materials lists, and routing information to the shop floor for each production order, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and completeness of information.
• Work closely with production supervisors and operators to resolve any discrepancies or issues related to job packs, provide clarification or additional instructions as needed, and support smooth execution of production tasks.

Required Skills and Qualifications

First and foremost, you must bring outstanding problem solving skills, strong work ethics, and integrity to the table. Furthermore, we consider the following formal requirements relevant.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a customer and/or supplier facing role with background in estimating, production planning, scheduling, and order management, preferably in a manufacturing environment with milling, turning, assembly, and treatments operations.
• Commercial, negotiation and contract experience.
• Degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business and Management or related area or Equivalent Proven Experience.
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems, production planning software, and Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret production data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to optimize production processes and resource utilization.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and customers to achieve common goals.
• Proven ability to multitask, prioritize workload, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced production environment.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement methodologies, and best practices in production planning and scheduling.

What We Offer

We believe to offer something different.

• Strategic Impact: Shape critical operational processes and establish a legacy of excellence in a rapidly scaling organisation.
• Prestige and Innovation: Work on high-stakes projects that define the future of aerospace, space, and defense.
• Meritocratic Culture: Join an organisation where excellence, integrity, and results are the foundation of everything we do. We are proud of our unique team ethos, enabling and supporting each other and going the extra mile together.

At BUOYANCY AEROSPACE, we are committed to a purely merit-based environment where performance, capability, and integrity are all that matter. We do not hire based on , skin , , , or any other personal characteristic protected by the law; we believe in rewarding talent, dedication, integrity, and results.

To be considered for this role, please submit a complete application (motivational letter, CV, and all references) to [e-mail]