Strategic Buyer - Networks

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Nestled in the heart of Devon, UK, the South Molton plant is home to a team of over 400 talented professionals, driving excellence in aerospace manufacturing. With a proud history dating back to 1973, this facility has grown into a powerhouse of precision engineering, delivering high-quality components to some of the world's most renowned aerospace brands.

The Role:

The Strategic Buyer - Networks is the operational procurement partner for the South Molton, Bedhampton and Titchfield facilities. The role manages complex and custom procurement requirements across the regional supplier network, balancing customer demand with supplier capacity, cost, quality, delivery, and technical requirements. The position owns key supply chain activities including purchase order execution, inbound volumes, forecasts, capacity commitments, supplier performance, transitions, and non-standard or non-repeat requirements. The role works closely with site Procurement, Operations, Planning, Quality, Engineering, Accounts Payable, Commodity Management, and commercial teams to protect continuity of supply and support customer delivery.

What you’ll do:

• Balance current and future demand requirements against supplier capability and capacity across South Molton, Bedhampton, and Titchfield, ensuring purchasing schedules align with approved demand and network plans.
• Procure parts and services with complex or custom requirements, including non-standard, non-repeat, and low-volume requirements, while meeting applicable quality, specification, delivery, and compliance expectations.
• Manage purchase orders and supplier commitments, including expediting, de-expediting, cancellation, and recovery activity, to close gaps between the current plan and customer requirements.
• Lead material forecast collaboration with suppliers, secure capacity commitments, and escalate material availability or supplier constraints through the appropriate site and network governance.
• Source and develop suppliers, support tender preparation, evaluate commercial proposals, and negotiate pricing, terms, conditions, and long-term agreements in partnership with Commodity Management.
• Manage supplier and in-site transitions, including supplier moves, gate reviews, ramp-up, and ramp-down activity, using agreed risk assessment and governance processes.
• Coordinate technical procurement activity for controlled or undisclosed programs, ensuring engineering specifications and purchasing requirements are received, validated, and communicated through authorized processes.
• Work with Quality to coordinate the return, rework, replacement, or exchange of defective material and ensure actions protect production and customer delivery.
• Coordinate with Accounts Payable and suppliers to resolve invoice, billing, credit, and receiving issues that could interrupt supply or damage supplier relationships.
• Analyze ERP, MRP, and supplier data; prepare clear reports, risks, recommendations, and recovery plans; and present outcomes to site, regional, and senior leadership.
• Support operational tier reviews, cross-site reviews, and supplier performance meetings, ensuring actions have clear ownership and due dates.
• Collaborate with commercial teams on Aftermarket quotation activity and ensure procurement assumptions, lead times, and supplier constraints are understood.
• Provide training, coaching, and practical support to buyers and less experienced colleagues, promoting consistent regional processes and ways of working.
• Work within applicable export control, trade compliance, ethical sourcing, and company policy requirements.
• Travel approximately 30% to suppliers or Eaton facilities, primarily supporting South Molton, Bedhampton, and Titchfield regional requirements.