Job Title:  Purchasing Team Leader

The Purchasing Team Leader is responsible for the leadership and management of all purchasing and procurement activities across the business. The role ensures the timely, cost-effective, and compliant acquisition of materials, components, services, and subcontract activities required to support operational, customer, and strategic objectives.

The position combines operational purchasing, inventory management, supplier relationship management, strategic sourcing, and team leadership responsibilities. The successful candidate will develop and execute purchasing strategies that optimise cost, quality, delivery performance, inventory levels, and supplier partnerships whilst supporting business growth and customer satisfaction.

As a leader within the organisation, the Purchasing Team Leader will champion continuous improvement, develop team capability, strengthen supplier relationships, and ensure all procurement activities align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.

Main Duties/Responsibilities:

Purchasing & Procurement

• Purchase goods, materials, components or services in accordance with specified technical, quality and delivery requirements.
• Support the procurement process to ensure orders are raised accurately and on time to ensure all goods and services are supplied in accordance with customer and company requirements
• Maintain inventory and sufficient stock levels to actively support the workshop facility to meet on time delivery targets and Work Order turnaround time targets.
• Ensure inventory holding is optimized for current capability and meets financial targets on total stock holding.
• Perform regular reviews and follow ups on all key elements of purchasing with special reference to on time delivery, overdue orders, open orders, order acknowledgements, reorder points and delivery forecasts and maintain the ERP system with the current status and expected delivery dates.
• Conduct requests for quotation, evaluation, negotiations and sourcing activities
• Drive annual cost down and minimise supplier cost increases
• Ensure compliance with government laws and regulations and company policies and processes.
• Review performance data related to purchasing effectiveness and efficiency.
• Provide procurement support for new repair capability, and when necessary, participate in make /buy process.
• Assist the engineering team with the costing of spares for engineering projects.
• Ensure full life-cycle strategy and support.
• Raise Purchase Orders and maintain the ERP system with the current status and expected delivery dates
• Action company daily reports covering, as a minimum, Parts awaiting Price & Delivery (Status 110), Parts awaiting ordering (Status 160), parts ordered awaiting delivery (Status 170)

Supplier Management

• Develop strategic relationships with OEMs, key suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers to encourage excellent service and favourable price and lead-time commitments, beneficial to Muirhead Avionics.
• Negotiate improved terms and conditions for the business throughout the supplier base, and identify new supplier opportunities.
• Monitor supplier performance using agreed KPIs including:
• On-time delivery
• Quality performance
• Responsiveness
• Cost competitiveness
• Lead time adherence
• Conduct regular supplier reviews and performance meetings.
• Identify and mitigate supplier-related risks.
• Escalate and resolve supplier performance issues.
• Lead supplier development activities to improve service, quality, and cost performance.
• Ensure supplier compliance with contractual, regulatory, quality, and ethical requirements.

Inventory Management

• Ensure inventory levels support production schedules and customer demand requirements.
• Optimise stock holdings to balance service levels and working capital objectives.
• Regularly review:
• Re-order points
• Safety stock levels
• Excess inventory
• Obsolescence risks
• Demand forecasts
• Work closely with operations and engineering to ensure material availability.
• Manage inventory planning processes within ERP systems.
• Support inventory reduction and working-capital improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to use AI tools to improve productivity, decision-making, work quality, and to reduce costs. The successful candidate must be able to identify appropriate AI use cases and critically evaluate AI-generated outputs