Kilnbridge Group
Senior Buyer
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Senior Buyer
Kilnbridge
Head Office – Canning Town
Kilnbridge Group
About Kilnbridge
Kilnbridge is the UK’s leading structures specialist, delivering some of the country’s most complex and iconic engineering, construction and infrastructure projects. Our expertise spans the full lifecycle of a structure - design, build, adapt, repair and protect - delivered by four specialist operational businesses that combine seamlessly as One Kilnbridge to meet any project’s needs.
We are purpose led, focused on building a sustainable and resilient future for the UK, with a reputation for technical excellence, safety and quality built over 35 years. As an employee-owned business, our people are at the heart of everything we do - empowered to contribute, innovate and help shape our continued success.
If you want to develop your expertise, contribute to technically challenging projects and be part of a collaborative team, we'd love to hear from you.
The Role
We're looking for an ambitious and commercially minded Senior Buyer to join our Procurement team and play a key role in shaping the success of some of the UK's most complex construction and infrastructure bids.
This role is ideal for an experienced Buyer ready to take the next step in their career, moving beyond transactional procurement into a more strategic, influential position with leadership responsibilities. Managing and mentoring a Buyer while partnering with senior stakeholders across the business, you'll have the opportunity to directly influence major bid outcomes, procurement strategies and supply chain engagement across the Group.
Working at the heart of our Work Winning and Pre-Construction function, you'll lead procurement activities during the bid phase, driving value, managing risk and helping secure future projects for the business. If you enjoy negotiating complex deals, building strong supplier partnerships and contributing to high-profile project wins, this is an opportunity to make a real impact while developing towards a future procurement leadership role.
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What you'll do
- Lead procurement activity across bids, tenders, frameworks and strategic opportunities throughout the Group.
- Develop procurement strategies that strengthen bid competitiveness, reduce risk and maximise value.
- Work closely with estimating, engineering and pre-construction teams to develop robust procurement solutions during tender stages.
- Obtain and validate supplier quotations aligned with technical specifications, programmes and commercial objectives.
- Provide benchmarking data, market intelligence and cost insights to support bid development.
- Lead pre-contract negotiations with suppliers and subcontractors to secure the best commercial outcomes.
- Build and strengthen relationships with strategic suppliers, helping drive innovation and long-term value.
- Identify procurement risks, supply chain constraints and market opportunities during bid development.
- Present procurement strategies and supplier recommendations during bid reviews and governance processes.
- Maintain market intelligence, supplier capability data and category insights to support future opportunities.
- Manage procurement handovers from bid stage to delivery teams, ensuring a seamless transition into project mobilisation.
- Support and develop a Buyer, sharing knowledge and helping build capability within the Procurement team.
What you'll need
- Proven experience in a Senior Buyer, Buyer, Pre-Construction Procurement or Work Winning Procurement role.
- Experience supporting major bids, tenders and commercial opportunities within the construction, engineering or infrastructure sectors.
- Strong commercial acumen and confidence negotiating with suppliers and subcontractors.
- A strong understanding of tendering processes, estimating, bid governance and procurement best practice.
- Experience developing procurement strategies and influencing commercial decision-making.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the business, including senior leadership teams.
- Sound understanding of construction supply chains, market conditions and procurement risk management.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- A proactive, strategic and solutions-focused mindset.
- CIPS qualification or working towards one would be beneficial but is not essential.
- Previous experience mentoring, coaching or supporting junior procurement professionals would be advantageous.
- Alignment with Kilnbridge values: Responsibility, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence.
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Why Kilnbridge?
With major projects delivered across the UK - from national infrastructure to clean energy, buildings and complex structural works - Kilnbridge offers the opportunity to work on schemes that leave a lasting legacy on the built environment. With a UK network of offices from London to Runcorn to Lisburn, we are a trusted partner in some of the most highly regulated, constrained and demanding environments.
We are proud to be an employee-owned organisation where every colleague has a real stake in our success and a voice in how we grow. Our culture is shaped by four core values - Responsibility, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence - which guide how we work and support one another every day.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
Kilnbridge is an equal opportunities employer and a proud member of the Disability Confident Scheme. We are committed to creating a diverse workplace where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. We welcome discussions about flexible working and encourage applicants who may require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy or marital status.
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