Lead Buyer - Contracting Specialist

Do you thrive on the opportunity of having a direct influence on the direction of the business within a procurement environment?

Job Title: Lead Buyer – Contracting Specialist

Salary: Circa £45,000 - £50,000 depending on experience 

Location: Stevenage (We may be able to offer a relocation package for this role)

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 2 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

The opportunity:

Do you thrive on the opportunity of having a direct influence on the direction of the business within a procurement environment?

The Industrial Policy, Supply Chain and Procurement (ISP) organisation is responsible for procuring and managing supply chain for direct and indirect products and services for both projects and the business, with a total spend of approximately €500M per year across UK, France and Italy.

As a Lead Buyer – Contracting Specialist, you will be responsible for the procurement activities across a number of categories with an increased focus on the early stages of the product lifecycle, including Concept Assessment and Development.

Whilst being the focal point for multi-function teams, you will work closely alongside the Category manager, Supply Chain Manager, Supplier Planners and other key stakeholders to drive procurement excellence.

Reporting to the Procurement Manager, you will be responsible for maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and internal project teams and functions, ensuring the best contractual terms are achieved and that existing and future relationships with the suppliers are managed effectively.

This role will provide you with the opportunity to work in a varied and exciting role within a dynamic team environment, incorporating complex stakeholder management and strategic sourcing to secure a supply base for new and existing requirements.

Your Main Responsibilities as a Lead Buyer – Contracting Specialist will include:

• As a subject matter expert, you will be responsible for leading all contracting lifecycle activities across early development and production stages, ensuring both MBDA and End Customer contractual requirements are embedded within formal agreements.
• Utilising demand data to implement formalised pricing and flexible trading agreements.
• Influencing and implementing MBDA Group Category strategy, working with Category Managers to pro-actively provide ideas and solutions.
• Leading / active participation, in multifunctional and international teams, to support definition and negotiation strategies for specific categories and/or projects.
• Identification and management of risk within the supply chain.
• Maintaining strong, effective relationships with suppliers that are capable long-term effectiveness and resolution of performance issues through improvement plans.
• Understanding budget requirements, identifying and implementing opportunities for cost reduction/avoidance through effective negotiation with the supplier to ensure the competitiveness of MBDA.
• Understanding and maintaining Key Performance Indicators for suppliers. 
• Maintaining supplier open order books and supply contracts, ensuring data is maintained and topical in the SAP ERP system.
• Facilitating Design for Manufacture sessions with Engineering, Manufacturing and Suppliers. 
• Supporting knowledge and best practice sharing across the community of Senior & Lead Buyers.
• Actively supporting functional excellence programmes, identifying and developing areas for improvement where new processes may be required.
• Providing and presenting briefs and reports for Senior Management reviews including potential risks/issues.

Whilst our environment is complex, challenging and varied from day to day, by joining our excellent team, you will surrounded by individuals that are dedicated to support one another and achieve common goals whilst sharing knowledge, experience, best practice and opinion.

What we're looking for from you:

You will have excellent knowledge of strategic and operational procurement processes, whilst being an excellent team player and capable of taking a lead in your category.

You will have well-developed communication, negotiation, analytical and interpersonal skills with a strong ability to influence at all levels with both your internal and external stakeholders. You will be passionate about developing strategy and driving improvements in order to meet the overall needs of the business.

 Your skills and qualifications:

• Strong contracting experience and capability
• Procurement and or Supply Chain experience, managing all activities within the scope of the role, with an in depth knowledge of principles, practices and processes
• Strong commercial and financial understanding
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate to various levels of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills; able to secure the best commercial position for MBDA.
• High level of computer literacy and proficient in the use of Microsoft office tools for analysing and communicating purposes.
• Whilst not essential, CIPS level 4 (or working towards) or equivalent HNC/HND in Business Studies or equivalent qualification would be beneficial.
• Whilst not essential, understanding/experience of UK MoD Defence Conditions would be beneficial.

Interested? Click Apply Now!

Our company:

MBDA is a leading defence organisation.  We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

What we can offer you: