Owen Daniels
Lead Buyer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Role: Lead Buyer Location: Redditch, Worcestershire Salary: £40,000 - £50,000 per annum
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Lead Buyer to join a well-established engineering and manufacturing business based in Redditch.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a commercially minded procurement professional who enjoys building supplier relationships, driving cost reduction initiatives, and supporting technically complex manufacturing projects. Working closely with Quality, Engineering, Sales, and Operations, you'll play a key role in ensuring the business has a robust, competitive, and resilient supply chain.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead strategic sourcing and procurement activities across a range of engineering commodities.
- Manage RFQs, supplier quotations, tender evaluations, and commercial negotiations.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with UK and global suppliers.
- Identify and deliver cost reduction opportunities through strategic sourcing, supplier development, and alternative materials.
- Support New Product Introduction (NPI) by sourcing components and suppliers for new projects.
- Work collaboratively with Engineering, Quality, Sales, and Operations to deliver customer requirements.
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including single-source dependencies, capacity constraints, and raw material market fluctuations.
- Negotiate supply agreements and support long-term supplier performance improvements.
- Support customer and certification audits, including ISO 9001 and EN 9120 requirements.
- Provide market insight and supply chain solutions to support business growth.
- Drive supplier sustainability initiatives and continuous improvement across the supply base.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
About You
- Previous experience as a Lead Buyer, Senior Buyer, Category Manager, Commodity Manager, Strategic Buyer, or Procurement Manager within an engineering or manufacturing environment.
- A strong understanding of manufacturing processes and engineering supply chains.
- Experience managing RFQs, supplier negotiations, and strategic sourcing activities.
- Knowledge of global sourcing and supplier relationship management.
- The ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical specifications.
- Excellent commercial awareness with strong negotiation and communication skills.
- Strong analytical skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel and modern AI productivity tools.
- The ability to work independently while building strong relationships across multiple departments.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Desirable Experience
- Aerospace, defence (MOD), automotive, precision engineering, or industrial manufacturing experience.
- Knowledge of fasteners, C-Parts, or engineered components.
- Experience supporting ISO 9001 and EN 9120 environments.
- An Engineering degree or equivalent qualification.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills