98 Senior Buyer

<div><strong>Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability</strong></div> <div> </div> <div>At <strong>Hypersonica</strong>, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.</div> <div> </div> <div>By joining <strong>Hypersonica</strong>, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.</div> <div> </div> <div>We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.</div> <h3>What you’ll do</h3> <ul> <div> <li>Build and own Hypersonica’s UK procurement capability from zero, covering direct materials, complex components, tooling, equipment, services, and production requirements.</li> <li>Take end-to-end ownership of the buying process, from demand definition and supplier identification through quotation, negotiation, purchase order placement, expediting, delivery, and supplier performance.</li> <li>Work closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, programme, and finance teams to convert incomplete or evolving technical requirements into executable procurement plans.</li> <li>Secure long-lead, flight-critical, and schedule-critical items before they become programme constraints.</li> <li>Develop sourcing strategies for complex aerospace and defence hardware, including machined components, composites, electronics, sensors, actuators, propulsion-related hardware, specialist materials, tooling, and test equipment.</li> <li>Identify, assess, qualify, and onboard suppliers capable of meeting Hypersonica’s technical, quality, security, cost, and schedule requirements.</li> <li>Build strong supplier relationships while remaining commercially demanding on price, lead time, quality, responsiveness, and delivery performance.</li> <li>Lead RFQ and tender activity, structure commercial comparisons, negotiate terms, and make clear supplier recommendations based on total programme value rather than unit price alone.</li> <li>Own purchase-order accuracy, commercial terms, delivery schedules, change control, and supporting documentation.</li> <li>Run active expediting and supplier recovery activity, escalating early and driving action when delivery or quality performance threatens the programme.</li> <li>Partner with supplier quality and engineering teams to resolve technical issues, nonconformances, substitutions, and manufacturing constraints.</li> <li>Support make-versus-buy decisions and help define which capabilities should be retained internally versus placed with external suppliers.</li> <li>Build procurement processes, approval routes, supplier records, dashboards, and controls that are robust enough for defence hardware but light enough to support rapid execution.</li> <li>Establish clear reporting on commitments, lead times, supplier risk, cost exposure, late deliveries, and material availability.</li> <li>Support the implementation of SAP procurement processes, ensuring purchase orders, supplier data, approvals, receipts, and spend information are accurate and usable.</li> <li>Build category knowledge and a supplier base that can support progression from prototype builds into repeatable production.</li> <li>Contribute to the future procurement organisation, helping define where additional buyers, category specialists, or supplier-development capability will be needed.</li> </div></ul> <h3>Who you are</h3> <ul> <div> <li>An experienced buyer, senior buyer, procurement lead, or sourcing professional from aerospace, defence, automotive, motorsport, advanced manufacturing, or another complex hardware environment.</li> <li>Proven at owning procurement end to end rather than operating within one narrow stage of an established process.</li> <li>Experienced buying technically complex, low-volume, high-value, or mission-critical components and services.</li> <li>Comfortable working from incomplete BOMs, evolving designs, and urgent engineering requirements without losing commercial or configuration control.</li> <li>Strong at supplier identification, RFQs, commercial analysis, negotiation, contracting, purchase-order management, and expediting.</li> <li>Able to distinguish between a supplier that quotes well and one that can actually deliver conforming hardware on time.</li> <li>Experienced working closely with engineering and manufacturing teams and able t