Strategic Aerospace Sourcing Lead

Vertical Aerospace; Bristol (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday

Buy/sell days

Marriage or civil partnership days

4% benefits allowance

Help@Hand health and wellbeing service

Company performance-based bonus

Company Share Scheme

Company Pension Scheme

Breakfast every day

Job summary

Vertical Aerospace is seeking a Category Manager to build the procurement backbone of the Valo programme. You will identify strategic supplier partners, negotiate complex agreements and manage long-term supplier relationships to achieve high quality, cost-effective delivery.

Bring aerospace procurement experience and a strong commercial mindset to shape the supply chain for a new aircraft programme, collaborating across engineering, commercial strategy and globally dispersed partners.

Qualifications

• Proven procurement experience within the aerospace industry.
• A degree or equivalent qualification in a business‑related field, or a relevant CIPS qualification.
• Experience working closely with suppliers or customers within a complex, global aerospace environment.
• Strong commercial management capability, with demonstrable experience negotiating complex, high‑value contracts.
• A strong understanding of aerospace supply chains and the commercial and operational challenges associated with delivering complex aircraft programmes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute end-to-end procurement strategies for the Valo programme, helping build our in-house procurement expertise, specialist knowledge and capabilities.
• Research the market and lead sourcing and supplier-selection activities, assessing potential partners against criteria including cost, quality, capability and reliability.
• Lead the negotiation of complex, long-term and high-value commercial agreements.
• Manage the contracting process from initial RFIs and RFPs, through evaluation, negotiation and agreement of contractual terms.
• Build strong partnerships with key suppliers and actively manage their performance to support on-time, cost-efficient and high-quality delivery.
• Identify and mitigate commercial and supply-chain risks.
• Use market intelligence and commercial insight to understand both Vertical’s priorities and those of our suppliers, turning that understanding into effective procurement strategies.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders across the Valo programme to ensure procurement decisions support our wider programme objectives.

Skills

Procurement experience

Aerospace industry

Commercial management

Strategic thinking

Relationship building

Project management

Cross-cultural experience

Supplier management

Education

Business degree

CIPS qualification

Job description

Vertical Aerospace is seeking a Category Manager to build the procurement backbone of the Valo programme. You will identify strategic supplier partners, negotiate complex agreements and manage long-term supplier relationships to achieve high quality, cost-effective delivery.

Bring aerospace procurement experience and a strong commercial mindset to shape the supply chain for a new aircraft programme, collaborating across engineering, commercial strategy and globally dispersed partners.