Senior Supply Chain Manager

Senior Supply Chain Manager

Location: Oxfordshire

Salary: Up to £80,000

Type: Permanent

I’m currently recruiting for a Supply Chain & Procurement Manager to join a growing, technically complex business operating within a highly regulated engineering environment.

This is a senior role combining strategic supply chain leadership, procurement management and transformation , with responsibility for developing a resilient and commercially effective supply chain capable of supporting both current programmes and future growth.

You’ll report into the Operations Director and lead an established procurement team, while developing the longer-term supply chain strategy, operating model and transformation roadmap.

The Role

You’ll take ownership of the overall supply chain and procurement strategy, working closely with Operations, Engineering, Programmes, Quality and Finance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and owning a 3–5 year Supply Chain Strategy aligned with business growth plans.
• Defining the future supply chain operating model, capabilities, processes and resources.
• Leading and developing the Procurement and Buying team.
• Developing sourcing strategies across key categories and areas of expenditure.
• Establishing a strategic supplier management and segmentation framework.
• Improving supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness and risk.
• Developing supplier resilience and continuity strategies, including dual sourcing and supplier development.
• Identifying single-source dependencies, capacity constraints and long-lead risks.
• Driving improvements across supply chain processes, governance and ERP utilisation.
• Improving inventory management and reducing excess and obsolete stock.
• Delivering procurement cost-reduction and value-generation initiatives.
• Supporting bids and new programme opportunities with supplier, cost, capacity and risk inputs.
• Owning the supply chain risk register and ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies are in place.
• Working closely with Quality on supplier qualification, audits and performance improvement.
• Acting as the senior Supply Chain and Procurement representative across the business.
• Working with international teams to identify opportunities for global sourcing, supplier leverage and best-practice sharing.

About You

We’re looking for an experienced Supply Chain, Procurement or Strategic Sourcing professional who has operated within a complex engineering, manufacturing, aerospace, defence, space or technology environment.

You should have:

• Significant experience across Supply Chain, Procurement or Strategic Sourcing.
• Proven experience leading and developing procurement or supply chain teams.
• Strong strategic sourcing and supplier management experience.
• Experience with commercial negotiation and supplier performance management.
• Strong understanding of supply chain risk and resilience.
• Experience developing and implementing supply chain strategies or transformation programmes.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems, supply chain data and KPI development.
• Strong inventory management experience.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• The ability to operate comfortably between strategic leadership and detailed operational issues.

Desirable

Experience within aerospace, defence or space would be highly advantageous, as would knowledge of AS9100 and highly regulated engineering environments .

A recognised procurement or supply chain qualification such as CIPS / MCIPS or equivalent would also be beneficial.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of a supply chain function and shape how it develops over the next several years.

You’ll have the opportunity to lead an existing team, influence senior leadership, improve supplier performance and build a scalable supply chain strategy that supports significant business growth .

If you're a commercially astute Supply Chain or Procurement leader who enjoys transformation, supplier strategy and building high-performing teams, I’d be keen to hear from you.

Apply now or get in touch for a confidential discussion.