Tactical Buyer

Job Description Tactical BuyerCopello is supporting a leading engineering and manufacturing organisation based in Buckinghamshire in the recruitment of an Tactical Buyer to join their procurement team.Purpose of the RoleThe Buyer will be responsible for ensuring the effective procurement of materials, components, major work packages and services to support business operations. The role will manage the end-to-end supply of parts across nominated commodities, ensuring appropriate commodity strategies are deployed in line with business unit requirements and internal stakeholder needs.The successful candidate will play a key role in supplier management, driving strong performance against SOTIF and SDPPM metrics, and ensuring competitive sourcing to deliver year-on-year cost savings against standard cost. The role will also contribute to identifying and implementing cost-saving initiatives and process improvements across the procurement function.Key ResponsibilitiesManage end-to-end supply chain relationships with a defined group of suppliers to ensure optimal quality, cost, delivery and reliabilityNegotiate and issue purchase orders in line with purchase requisitions, MRP actions and inventory strategiesReview MRP requirements to ensure component deliveries align with production needs, adjusting schedules, quantities and pricing where requiredAnalyse and process supplier notificationsManage the communication and expediting of engineering and schedule changesAct as the data owner for all supply master dataMonitor delivery performance to ensure on-time delivery to production requirementsApply SOF principles to build robust supplier management processes and long-term supplier partnershipsResearch and develop new or alternative sources of supply where existing suppliers are insufficientCreate and maintain commodity market profiles and detailed supplier profilesContinuously monitor, evaluate and report on supplier performanceManage non-conforming material processes, ensuring timely return and rapid replenishmentSupport day-to-day procurement activities, including internal and supplier communications, price negotiations and revised commercial termsDeploy responsible supply chain management practices in line with company policy, including risk heat mapping and corrective actionsSupport the Procurement Manager with expediting priorities to ensure purchase orders are delivered on timeOutline of CompetenciesTime and priority managementTeamworking and collaborationBusiness operations, systems and processesContinuous and business improvementProduction finance controlProduction lifecycle managementCost and contract managementSupply chain definition and MRPStrategic sourcingSupplier relationship managementResilience and adaptabilityQualifications and ExperienceMinimum of 5 years experience within a supply chain or procurement environmentPrevious experience as a Buyer within a manufacturing or engineering organisation is advantageousLevel 4 or Level 5 NVQ or a degree in business, operations, supply chain or a related disciplineStrong written and verbal communication skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skillsProven experience in negotiation and supplier relationship managementStrong analytical, problem-solving, organisational and time-management skillsExperience working within an MRP-driven environmentExposure to a manufacturing environment is desirableAbility to operate within financial and time-sensitive constraintsCIPS qualification or working towards certification is desirableKey Performance MeasuresAchievement of PPV, SDPPM, SOTIF and On-Time Delivery (OTD) targets

Created: 2026-04-23