Supplier Development Lead

Supplier Development Lead
Location: HuddersfieldSalary: Up to £60,000 per annumPermanent | 37.5 Hours per Week | Monday to FridayAre you passionate about developing high-performing supply chains and building strong supplier partnerships?We're partnering with a leading UK engineering and manufacturing organisation operating within a highly regulated sector to recruit a Supplier Development Lead. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a strategic role in strengthening supplier capability, reducing supply chain risk and supporting the delivery of complex engineering programmes.This is not a traditional procurement role. Instead, you'll focus on supplier capability, resilience and continuous improvement, helping to ensure suppliers are fully prepared to support current and future business requirements.The Role
Reporting into the Head of Procurement, you'll be responsible for driving supplier development activities across the business, ensuring suppliers meet the required quality, capability, compliance and capacity standards before joining the approved supply chain.Working collaboratively with Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality and Programme teams, you'll play a key role in developing a robust and resilient supplier network.Key Responsibilities

Lead supplier onboarding and approval activitiesConduct supplier capability and capacity assessmentsDevelop and implement supplier improvement plansCoordinate supplier audits and due diligence processesIdentify and mitigate supplier risksImprove supplier performance through continuous improvement initiativesSupport outsourced manufacturing and supplier readinessContribute supplier capability expertise during bids and new programme launchesDevelop long-term supplier partnerships aligned to business strategyMaintain supplier governance, reporting and compliance documentationCollaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure supplier readiness across the organisation
About You
You'll ideally have:
Previous experience within Supplier Development, Strategic Procurement, Supplier Quality or Supply Chain DevelopmentStrong understanding of supplier management within an engineering or manufacturing environmentExperience carrying out supplier capability assessments and supplier auditsExcellent stakeholder management and communication skillsStrong commercial awareness and problem-solving abilityExperience driving supplier performance and continuous improvementKnowledge of MRP/ERP systemsThe ability to influence stakeholders at all levelsWillingness to travel within the UK (approximately 10%) and occasionally internationally (approximately 5%)
Desirable

CIPS/MCIPS qualificationExperience within Defence, Aerospace, Marine, Automotive, Nuclear, Rail or another highly regulated engineering environment
What's on Offer

Salary up to £60,000 per annum33 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays)Flexible working (Flexi Time) with the opportunity to accrue up to an additional 12 days' annual leave each yearEmployer pension contribution of up to 8%Death in Service cover of up to 5x basic salary (when enrolled in the pension scheme)Healthcare Cash Plan, including reimbursement for dental, physiotherapy and other eligible healthcare appointmentsExcellent long-term career development opportunitiesWork within a collaborative, forward-thinking engineering businessThe opportunity to influence strategic supply chain performance across major engineering programmes
Security Requirements
Due to the nature of the work, applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be eligible to obtain the appropriate UK security clearance. Nationality and export control restrictions may apply.Interested?
If you're looking to take the next step in your supply chain career and want to make a real impact by developing resilient, high-performing supplier networks, we'd love to hear from you.Apply today for a confidential discussion.