Supply Chain & Procurement Lead

Supply Chain & Procurement Lead

Advanced technology hardware | London (hybrid) | Competitive salary + benefits

Our client is a fast-growing technology company building complex hardware systems for commercial and research customers. Production is ramping up. How well they manage suppliers will now shape their costs, delivery times and growth plans.

This is a newly created role. Buying is currently spread across several teams. You'll pull it together into one joined-up function and shape how it grows alongside the business.

What you'll be doing

• Sourcing specialist, high-spec components from a small pool of niche suppliers, and developing those suppliers into long-term partners
• Setting up and managing agreements with external manufacturing and assembly partners, covering scope, milestones and performance
• Protecting company IP in supplier and licensing arrangements
• Running day-to-day purchasing for both production and overhead spend
• Identifying and reducing supply risk, especially where the business relies on a single supplier
• Leading on trade compliance with the legal team

Your first six months

• Month one: get to grips with current spend and suppliers, meet the people who buy today, and take over live activity
• Month three: a clear picture of supply risk, with core processes, supplier onboarding and contract templates in place
• Month six: full ownership of the supplier base and measurable improvements in cost, terms and delivery

What you'll bring

• Procurement or supply chain experience in a technical hardware setting, such as aerospace, defence, semiconductors, electronics, instrumentation or medical devices
• Experience of small-batch, complex supply chains where parts are hard to source and slow to arrive
• Contract negotiation experience, including subcontracts and IP terms
• Working knowledge of UK export licensing, dual-use controls and ITAR/EAR
• Confidence talking to engineers and turning technical needs into commercial terms
• You enjoy building something new rather than inheriting an established process

Nice to have: CIPS, AS9100 or ISO 9001 experience, or experience of taking a product into volume manufacture.

Why this role?

You'll be the person who defines how procurement works in a growing hardware business. The role has visible impact and a direct line to the leadership team.