Buyer
Dunfermline
Role summary and purpose:
We are currently looking for a Buyer to join our Procurement department based in Dunfermline on a permanent contract. The Buyer is responsible for all aspects of purchasing and supplier management for their allocated parts and suppliers. Working collaboratively with suppliers and cross functional teams within Optos, the Buyer ensures delivery against key cost, quality, delivery and risk objectives. The role proactively leads continuous improvement activities and contributes to project initiatives that strengthen supply chain performance, resilience, and efficiency, while driving best practice procurement behaviours across the organisation.
Essential duties and responsibilites:
- Cost Optimisation – Identify and deliver cost-reduction opportunities by analysing spend, engaging suppliers in negotiation, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and ensuring cost improvements are validated, implemented, and sustained.
- Manage Purchase Orders – Ensure lead times and system data are accurate, POs raised in line with demand and sourcing strategies, and queries resolved ahead of critical path milestones.
- Forecast & Capacity Planning – Share capacity forecasts with managed suppliers monthly and obtain confirmed commitments. Take ownership for resolving any capacity related constraints before they impact production or NPI timelines.
- Optimise Inventory – Optimise inventory levels ensuring key metrics are achieved for availability, total inventory, nonconforming stock, excess, and obsolescence.
- Supplier Management – Ensure efficient and effective supplier management by maintaining standardised data sharing and alignment processes, supporting consistent ways of working, and coordinating structured meeting governance with a focus on timely tracking and closure of actions / KPI delivery.
- Supplier Development – Monitor supplier performance metrics, lead improvement action delivery, support business reviews, and identify risks or capability gaps requiring intervention.
- Continuous Improvement – Actively support continuous improvement and best practices initiatives across the supply chain and wider business
- Change Management – Support or lead the implementation of New Product Introduction (NPI) activities and Engineering Change processes, ensuring robust, efficient, and timely transitions on applicable parts
- Data Integrity & Reporting – Maintain the highest level of accuracy and consistency across all procurement related data and systems.
- Risk and Compliance – Actively manages risk and compliance across allocated suppliers achieved by maintaining accurate risk and compliance documentation, and engaging suppliers in corrective and preventive actions to ensure ongoing adherence to contractual, ethical, regulatory, quality and audit requirements.
Skills & Experience: Essential
- Proven procurement experience with the capability to independently manage sourcing and purchasing activity, applying commercial judgement and procurement policies.
- Strong operational procurement capability across planning, capacity management, PO lifecycle management, and MRB resolution.
- Demonstrated experience in supplier performance management, including delivery, quality, cost, and corrective action tracking.
- Working knowledge of sourcing processes, RFQs, negotiations, contract principles, and supplier risk management.
- Experience delivering procurement projects and implementing process improvements.
- Effective cross functional stakeholder management capability.
Skills & Experience: Desirable
- CIPS Level 4 (or equivalent CPSM / ISM).
- Experience working in a medical device or regulated manufacturing environment.
BENEFITS
At Optos, we offer a highly competitive compensation and benefits package.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, age or protected veteran status.
