Location: Coventry, UK
Core Hours: 08:00-16:35 (Mon – Thu) 08:00-15:10 (Fri)
Vacancy Type: Full-time and Permanent
Salary: £70,000+ subject to experience + discretionary bonuses
The job
As the Senior Strategic Procurement Manager, you will provide senior leadership for procurement activity across production, indirect and capital expenditure spend, ensuring goods and services are sourced effectively and meet cost, quality and delivery requirements.
This role brings together strategic sourcing, supplier performance management and operational execution. You will set clear direction for the procurement team, ensure materials and services are available to meet business demand, and drive continuous improvement, cost efficiency and supply chain resilience.
You will also act as the senior point of escalation for all non-project related purchasing activity, ensuring issues are resolved effectively and in line with business priorities.
In addition, you will hold accountability for the development, implementation and governance of call off contract methodologies, ensuring procurement execution across the business is structured, controlled and efficient.
As part of the role, you will have direct line management responsibility for four current team members, with accountability for their performance, development and delivery.
What you'll get in return
At NP Aerospace, we know our success comes from our people. That’s why we invest in benefits that support your health, reward your hard work, and help you grow your career:
- Performance rewards – discretionary bonus opportunities
- Flex your day – flexible start and finish times (subject to manager approval and operational needs)
- Time to recharge – 25 days’ holiday + 8 bank holidays, with the option to buy more through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Support for Defence – two weeks’ paid leave for Reservists and Cadets, plus paid leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)
- Future security – competitive pension scheme, 9% combined employer/employee contributions
- Peace of mind – life cover at 3x base salary
- Health & wellbeing first – BHSF Cash Healthcare Plan to support everyday health costs
- Grow with us – career development and advancement opportunities within a global business
- Supportive environment – a team culture built on innovation, collaboration, and purpose
What you'll be doing
Leadership and team management
- Lead and develop the procurement function, setting clear direction and ensuring strategic and operational objectives are delivered.
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Drive a high-performance culture of accountability and continuous improvement across the team.
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Provide senior oversight of procurement activity across direct, indirect and capital expenditure spend, ensuring effective governance and prioritisation.
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Act as the senior escalation point for non-project procurement issues, resolving blockers quickly and in line with business priorities.
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Provide procurement insight, advice and constructive challenge to the Director of Supply Chain and wider senior stakeholders.
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Build team capability through coaching, development and the adoption of professional purchasing methodologies and best practice.
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Align resource and capability planning with business demand, ensuring the function can respond effectively as priorities change.
Strategic sourcing and supplier management
- Lead the development and execution of sourcing strategies that balance cost, risk, quality and continuity of supply.
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Provide senior oversight of supplier selection and onboarding against defined commercial and technical criteria.
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Establish and govern service level agreements with key suppliers, ensuring measurable performance and clear accountability.
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Lead supplier relationship management and performance improvement activity, ensuring issues are resolved and sustainable improvements are delivered.
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Shape and implement category strategies, particularly across indirect and capital expenditure spend, to improve control, value and consistency.
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Build strategic supplier partnerships that strengthen resilience, support business growth and improve long term performance.
Call off contract management and governance
- Lead the development and governance of call off contract frameworks and processes, ensuring structured and controlled execution across the business.
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Oversee the conversion of demand, including MRP and forecast requirements, into controlled call off orders through QAD.
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Ensure compliance with contractual, commercial and pricing structures across all call off activity.
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Hold suppliers accountable for performance against call off commitments and service level agreements, taking appropriate action where performance falls below expectations.
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Drive improvements in process efficiency, control and supplier reliability across call off execution.
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Act as the senior escalation point for call off execution issues, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
Commercial and contractual management
- Lead complex and high value supplier negotiations to secure strong commercial outcomes.
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Develop and manage robust supply contracts that protect the business, support operational delivery and reduce commercial risk.
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Provide senior commercial guidance on supplier agreements, pricing structures and contractual matters.
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Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance and working capital improvements.
Operational procurement execution
- Hold overall procurement accountability for the timely availability of materials and services needed to support operational demand.
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Provide senior oversight of ERP and MRP activity through QAD, ensuring strong procurement discipline and accurate data.
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Govern the release of call off orders against agreed framework arrangements.
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Lead alignment between procurement, planning, production and other key stakeholders to ensure demand and supply requirements are understood and managed effectively.
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Ensure procurement controls, policies and procedures are followed consistently to reduce risk and improve performance.
Performance and continuous improvement
- Define, monitor and report procurement KPIs across cost, delivery, quality and supplier performance.
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Provide clear procurement performance updates, insight and recommendations to the Director of Supply Chain and wider senior stakeholders.
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Maintain effective supplier scorecards and performance reporting, ensuring issues lead to clear actions and measurable improvement.
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Ensure compliance with service level agreements, call off processes and procurement controls.
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Lead continuous improvement and risk management activity to strengthen procurement performance and supply chain resilience.
The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities.
Our team embraces modern technologies, including AI-assisted tools, to work smarter and deliver better results. Candidates should either have experience using AI tools or demonstrate a willingness to learn and apply them in their role.
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience operating in a senior procurement leadership role within a manufacturing or engineering environment, with responsibility for both strategic and operational delivery.
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Proven experience leading and developing a procurement team, setting clear direction and holding experienced team members accountable for performance.
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Strong experience using ERP and MRP systems to manage demand, strengthen purchasing discipline and maintain accurate procurement data. Experience using QAD would be desirable.
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A proven track record of leading complex supplier negotiations and managing commercial agreements that deliver strong outcomes and protect continuity of supply.
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Experience managing direct, indirect and capital expenditure procurement, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and maintain effective governance.
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Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability, with evidence of using data to improve performance, reduce cost, manage risk and support senior decision making.
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Demonstrable experience influencing directors and senior stakeholders on procurement strategy, supplier performance and commercial risk.
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Experience improving procurement processes, governance and team capability within a growing or changing business.
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Experience using AI tools, or a willingness to learn and apply them within the role.
Ability assessment
As part of the interview process, you may be asked to deliver a short presentation on a procurement challenge relevant to the role. This may include how you assess priorities, influence senior stakeholders, lead the procurement team and deliver measurable improvement. Full details and preparation guidance will be shared in advance.
What do we do at NP Aerospace?
NP Aerospace is a global leader in armour technology manufacturing and vehicle integration, delivering high-performance, lifesaving solutions for the defence and security industry.
Our mission is to improve and protect lives, and our vision is to be a leading provider of innovative solutions that solve our customers' complex challenges. Our values - Respect, Collaboration, Integrity, and Dedication form the bedrock of our culture.
Our extensive range of combat-proven body armour, from ballistic helmets, plates, and shields to bomb disposal suits, highlights some of the most advanced composite materials. With a team of R&D engineers working on next-generation solutions, we also excel in highly engineered vehicle systems and armour platforms used by some of the world’s largest defence organisations.
Founded in 1926, NP Aerospace has served the defence industry for over 40 years, evolving into an agile and diverse company. Our Business Development team is expanding both in the UK and North America.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: NP Aerospace is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, colour, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We are also fully committed to supporting the Defence Community and actively advertise roles on Defence specific platforms such as CTP, Force Families, Forces Employment Charity, and Veterans Job Board.
Data Privacy: NP Aerospace respects the privacy of all applicants. Personal information provided during the application process will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy and applicable data protection laws.
Please note: If successful, you will be required to sign the Official Secrets Act and successfully pass the necessary checks before you can begin your employment with NP Aerospace.
