Senior Technical Buyer

Flitwick, Bedfordshire
Lockheed Martin

The Senior Technical Buyer (Engineering) is a role within the Lockheed Martin UK Global Supply Chain Organisation based at Ampthill, Bedfordshire. This role benefits from a 4 day working week Monday – Thursday with Hybrid working, typically 2 days a week onsite.

You will join a renowned international defence company, with a range of technical innovative products and excellent opportunities for career progression, and personal and professional development.

Focusing on managing supplier delivery, it primarily supports the development and production in Armoured Vehicles, Platform Integration, Special Projects and Weapons areas and domains to meet domestic and international programme and business needs.

LKMUK (Ampthill) has a worldwide supply base, although predominantly in the UK, Europe, Middle East and the US.

Success requires experience of working in a functional organisation and a blend of proven skills including relationship building and achievement of deliveries on time and in full, through the ability to successfully negotiate and manage procurements ranging from simple to complex subcontracts. This will be couple with effectively working within a multi-disciplinary product team including Engineering, Operations and Quality.

The role focusses on supporting a variety of programmes and undertakes activity across multiple categories of goods and services including simple to complex built to print in commodity areas including PCB’s, box-builds, cable harnesses, mechanical, COTs and MOTS.

• Undertaking the procurement process including issuing RFQ’s, Invitation to Tender, Terms and Conditions, negotiations, bid evaluations, and award of contract
• Negotiating with suppliers to ensure best-value is achieved
• Achieving the successful delivery of procurements, including the management of schedules
• Developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships with key internal and external business contacts to achieve mutual benefit
• Ensuring procurement activities are compliant to internal/legislative procedures, and that risks are identifies and managed
• Providing the key interface between internal customers and suppliers to ensure that communication is effectively managed and issues and risks are fully understood and managed
• Supporting internal and external reviews of supplier performance as required

Required skills, qualifications and experience

• Proven experience as a Senior Technical Buyer or similar role
• Excellent understanding of procurement best practice.
• Excellent commercial skills with the ability to analyse and negotiate best-value agreements
• Knowledge of strategic sourcing and advanced procurement techniques/tools
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to effectively manage stakeholder’s expectations at a variety of levels
• Data literate with strong analytical skills
• Highly motivated, determined, and committed individual with a proven record of achieving cost saving targets/objectives
• Individual who thrives on challenges, and has experience working in a fast paced procurement function or similar environment
• Direct experience of the management of tactical supplier relationships
• Contract management skills
• Understanding of related disciplines/departments within a design and manufacturing environment
• Proficient in the use of MS Office applications
• Flexibility to travel as required

Desired Skills

• Engineering – Mechanical (fabrications/machined items) and Electrical (box-build, cables, components) buying experience
• Supply Chain experience in defence environment
• Experience in the various phases of the product lifecycle from proposal capture, programme start-up, development, production, sustainment and end-of-life
• Flexibility to work at different levels of sub contract complexity (off the shelf, build to print, MOTs, and design to specification)
• Knowledge of SAP ERP system
• Bachelor’s degree in a business/scientific/technical discipline
• Knowledge/experience of process improvement methodologies
• Contract management skills
• Supplier Relationship Management skills
• Experience in Strategic procurement

The successful candidate must be able to achieve the appropriate level of security clearance. For further details please follow At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more.

We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off. We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement.

We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment. Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Competitive Pension
• Dental
• Critical Illness
• Life Assurance
• Travel Insurance
• Employee discounts for top high street shops
• Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counselling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc
• Internal training and development alongside out Education assistance programmes
• Reimbursement for a professional membership
• Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave

Lockheed Martin (UK) Ampthill is a rapidly changing, dynamic part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation with both domestic and international customers. It consists of business areas focusing on Platform Integration, Ground Based Air Defence, Special Projects and Weapons, which provide a variety of products and services to the Ministry of Defence and other customers. We are looking for talented individuals to join the company, in return we offer an exciting and challenging career path and excellent work/life balance with a 4 day week (Mon-Thurs) and flexible working arrangements.

Lockheed Martin recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Discrimination on any of these grounds is expressly forbidden. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community.