Procurement Operations Manager

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 15,000 employees across 41 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

A rare opportunity has arisen within our Procurement Department for an experienced people leader, who will be responsible for the operational performance of some of our key suppliers.

Based in our Osborne facility in East Cowes, and reporting into the Procurement Director, the Procurement Operations Manager will lead a team of operational buyers that are responsible for ensuring delivery in line with operational performance requirements from suppliers across a scope of ~ £50-100m spend. They will also be responsible for resource management to deliver against performance objectives focused on continuous improvement, people development, and supplier delivery performance.

This role will require regular travel (both nationally and international) to meet with suppliers (approx. 10-20% of the time), so suitable applicants need to be willing and able.

Job Responsibilities

Typical Responsibilities Will Include

• Leads a team of operational buyers that are responsible for ensuring delivery in line with operational performance requirements from suppliers across a scope of ~ £50-100m spend
• Consolidation of site level operational procurement reporting, score cards, data, inventory and site level supply risks
• Accountable for the management of the people within the operational procurement team ensuring that PDP, development plans and succession planning
• Ensuring that the people within the operational procurement team have the adequate skills to carry out their roles, where skills gaps are identified, putting training and development plans in place to address them
• Responsible for application across the team of supplier scheduling in line with MPS and the accuracy of supplier and procured parts data within the MRP system to ensure that demand signals minimise shortages and eliminate unwanted inventory
• Accountable for External Scheduling, Vendor Scheduling, Purchase Orders and Point of Use
• Accountable for embedding standard procurement process into the operational procurement team including a daily start of shift meeting, a weekly KPI and objectives meeting and maintaining a daily regimen with all employees
• Working closely with other operational procurement teams to ensure standardisation of procurement process
• Accountable for the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process in regards to external supply reviews
• Accountable for the accuracy of supplier and procured parts data within MRP/ERP system to ensure that demand signals minimise shortages and eliminates unwanted inventory
• Development and delivery of continuous improvement plans for operational procurement
• Being the senior escalation point with the supplier for any issues relating to supplier performance
• Accountable for ensuring that regular supplier business reviews are held with all key suppliers
• Accountable for internal customer relationships
• Accountable for budgetary control for the Procurement Operations team.
  
  

Job Qualifications

Suitable applicants will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant previous experience in supply chain management (manufacturing or aerospace desirable, but not essential);
• Proven leader, with a successful track record of team engagement, and developing people to achieve their full potential;
• First class communication and relationship building skills - the ability to deal effectively and diplomatically with suppliers, but not afraid of having difficult conversations when required;
• Willingness and ability to spend (potentially) up to 20% of their time visiting suppliers both here in the UK and overseas
• A professional qualification would be advantageous (MCIPS, CIPS, PEP etc.), but equivalent experience is of more importance
  
  

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.