Procurement Manager

Morson is delighted to be working in partnership with a leading aerospace organisation to recruit a Procurement Manager for an initial 6 month contract. There is a pay rate of £41.10 Per Hour PAYE OR £55 Per Hour Umbrella on offer for the successful candidates. There would be a hybrid working arrangement on offer with 3 days a week spent on site in Farnborough and 2 days a week working from home.

Please find the role description below:

We are recruiting a Procurement Manager to shape, lead and elevate our Procurement function across both Direct and Indirect spend. Reporting to the VP of Procurement, you’ll play a pivotal role in building the sourcing strategies, supplier partnerships, commercial governance and operational excellence that will help power my client’s next phase of aerospace manufacturing, aircraft certification, industrialisation and business transformation.

This is an exciting opportunity for a procurement leader who thrives in a fast-moving, high-technology aerospace environment and wants to make a visible impact. Working closely with Engineering, Programme Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Legal, IT, Supply Chain Quality Assurance and Operations, you’ll ensure my client has the supplier capability, contractual protection, cost discipline and resilient supply chain needed to support the Zephyr programme, CAA certification activity and our transition from development into industrialised operations.

What you’ll be doing:

· Define and deliver Procurement strategy across Direct and Indirect spend, ensuring it supports programme delivery, certification milestones, industrialisation and operational excellence.

· Lead procurement activity across strategic aerospace commodities, production support, engineering services, facilities, IT, professional services and other indirect categories.

· Create clear category plans, sourcing roadmaps, supplier segmentation and make/buy recommendations that balance cost, quality, delivery and risk.

· Run complex RFx, tender, supplier selection and negotiation processes, bringing structure, pace and strong governance to every commercial decision.

· Negotiate and manage supplier agreements, pricing structures, statements of work, framework agreements and contract variations that protect my client commercially.

· Partner with Legal, Compliance, Export Control, Quality and Engineering to ensure procurement decisions meet regulatory, airworthiness, export control and corporate governance requirements.

· Build supplier performance frameworks with meaningful KPIs across cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, capacity, technical capability and continuous improvement.

· Support supplier readiness, capacity planning and industrialisation, helping my client move from development and prototype supply into repeatable manufacturing operations.

· Identify and mitigate supply chain risks including long lead items, single-source exposure, obsolescence, capacity constraints, financial risk and regulatory change.

· Improve procurement processes, systems adoption, data quality and reporting rhythms across ERP and associated procurement tools.

· Work with Finance and programme stakeholders to support budget control, cost reduction, working capital improvement and accurate procurement forecasting.

· Lead, coach and develop Procurement team members, creating a culture of ownership, high performance and continuous professional growth.

· Represent Procurement in senior cross-functional forums, ensuring decisions are commercially sound, operationally practical and aligned to my client’s strategic goals.

What we’re looking for:

· Proven procurement leadership experience across strategic sourcing, category management, supplier management and commercial delivery.

· Experience across both Direct and Indirect Procurement, including technical, production, engineering, services and business support categories.

· Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence at senior level, manage challenge constructively and turn business needs into practical procurement outcomes.

· A strong background in tender preparation, evaluation, supplier negotiation, contract development and contract management.

· Commercial confidence, data-led decision making and the ability to work with cost models, supplier proposals, budgets, forecasts and procurement performance metrics.

· Procurement experience in aerospace, defence, aviation, automotive, advanced manufacturing or another high-complexity regulated industry would be highly desirable.

· An understanding of regulated aerospace quality and certification environments, including ISO9001, EN/AS9100, CAA requirements or equivalent frameworks.

· Experience supporting industrialisation, operational excellence, supply chain transformation, ERP adoption or procurement process improvement programmes.

· A degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, Finance or a related field, or equivalent professional experience; CIPS qualification is desirable.

· Confidence using M365 and ERP systems such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 or equivalent procurement and supply chain platforms.

You’ll also bring:

· The ability to lead procurement activity across complex direct and indirect categories, ideally within aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing or another regulated technical environment.

· A track record of building procurement strategy, governance, processes, performance management and supplier relationship frameworks in a fast-moving organisation.

· Excellent commercial judgement, negotiation capability and contractual risk awareness, with the confidence to challenge, influence and advise senior stakeholders.

· A collaborative leadership style, with the ability to prioritise, simplify and deliver through ambiguity, change and competing programme demands.

· A commitment to integrity, accountability, continuous improvement and team spirit.

Simply hit the ‘Apply Now’ button for immediate consideration.