Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Job Description Summary
We are looking for a Strategic Sourcing Specialist to join our team in Rugby, reporting to the Senior Sourcing Manager, within our Naval business unit.
In this role, you will take ownership of sourcing activity across a portfolio of direct and indirect commodities, helping to strengthen supplier performance, support project delivery, and deliver strong cost, quality and delivery outcomes. You will work closely with internal stakeholders across sourcing, quality, engineering and operations, while building effective supplier relationships that support business needs.

This is an excellent opportunity for a sourcing or procurement professional who enjoys working in a technical or engineering-led environment and wants to play a visible role in supplier performance, commercial delivery and supply chain improvement.

Job Description

Please Note- You must be a sole national British citizen and have a valid UK passport, and holds, or is eligible to obtain, UK security clearance to SC level to be considered for this role.

• Develop and implement sourcing strategies for assigned commodities, using demand trends, historical data and market insight.
• Manage sourcing activity across direct and indirect spend areas, including tooling and facilities where required.
• Support supplier selection, onboarding and ongoing performance management in partnership with quality including conducting supplier reviews.
• Monitor supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery and risk, and lead regular reviews to drive improvement.
• Contribute to cost reduction, cash improvement and total cost of ownership initiatives through effective negotiation and commercial analysis.
• Support contract and commercial discussions in collaboration with internal stakeholders, including Legal.
• Work with bid and project teams to support RFQs, supplier lead times and make-versus-buy decision making.
• Identify and help mitigate supply chain risks while supporting supplier quality improvement and issue resolution using Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) metrics.
• Ensure sourcing activity is aligned with business priorities and wider commodity strategy.

• CIPS qualified, working towards CIPS, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Experience in sourcing, procurement, commodity management or supplier management within a technical, engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to develop or support sourcing strategies and lead commercial discussions with suppliers and conduct 'Make vs. Buy' assessments.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders such as Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing or Projects.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to support sourcing decisions.
• Confident communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Working knowledge of SAP, Microsoft Office and Power BI, or similar systems and tools.
• You need to hold a full UK driving licence as there will be occasional travel required between sites.
• You must be a sole British national, hold a valid UK passport, and can obtain and maintain UK Security Clearance (SC) to the required level.

• Experience in electrical engineering, defence, naval, industrial manufacturing or other highly regulated sectors.
• Familiarity with make-versus-buy analysis, contract negotiation and supplier performance management.
• Awareness of cyber security considerations in a supply chain environment.
• A practical, team-oriented approach with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.