POSITION SUMMARY:
The Senior Supply Chain Manager holds full responsibility and accountability for supplier performance, procurement leadership, and subcontract management.
This role is responsible for driving improvements in supplier quality, delivery, and commercial performance, ensuring the timely return of subcontracted components, strengthening supply chain resilience, and supporting operational output. The Senior Supply Chain Manager must demonstrate strong leadership, decisive action, and the ability to influence and negotiate in complex supply chain environments.
PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Leadership & Team Accountability
Lead, coach, and develop the Procurement team, ensuring high performance, strong commercial management, and effective supplier governance.
Promote a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, excellence, and accountability.
Ensure compliance with purchasing processes, policies, and standards.
Supplier & Subcontractor Management – Full Ownership
Take complete responsibility for supplier performance across quality, delivery, and commercial dimensions.
Manage and influence suppliers and subcontractors in machining, heat treatment, coatings, NDT, fabrication, and other tightly controlled processes.
Drive supplier capacity, lead time improvement, and right first-time quality.
Lead commercial and contractual negotiations to secure favourable terms and long-term performance.
Quality Issue Ownership
Take full ownership of supplier related quality issues and drive structured root cause analysis.
Ensure robust corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) are implemented and validated.
Maintain supplier compliance with AS9100, NADCAP, customer, and defence requirements.
Work closely with internal Quality teams to eliminate repeat quality issues.
Delivery Issue Ownership
Accept responsibility for missed supplier delivery commitments and recovery plans.
Lead expediting activity and ensure timely return of subcontracted components.
Provide accurate return forecasts, risk assessments, and mitigation actions.
Lead delivery assurance programmes to deliver permanent performance improvements.
Commercial Issue Ownership
Own commercial disputes, pricing anomalies, contract deviations, and supplier escalations.
Negotiate improved pricing, cost down opportunities, and value-added outcomes.
Support strategic sourcing and cost improvement initiatives.
Ensure suppliers comply with all contractual and regulatory obligations.
Operational Support
Ensure material availability supports MRP demand, production schedules, customer delivery milestones, and operational strategies.
Work cross functionally with Operations, Engineering, Planning, and Quality to maintain smooth production flow.
Identify risks early and lead mitigation to protect output.
Continuous Improvement & Supply Chain Excellence
Actively lead improvement initiatives to enhance supplier performance, reduce lead times, and improve supply chain efficiency.
Implement KPIs, dashboards, and supplier scorecards to drive Excellence.
Strengthen supply chain resilience through improved processes, capability development, and risk management.
Lead waste reduction, cost optimisation, and value improvement programmes.
Compliance & Documentation
Ensure all procurement and supplier activity complies with AS9100, NADCAP, defence regulations, and export controls.
Maintain audit ready documentation on supplier performance, contracts, and corrective actions.
Represent the supply chain function in customer audits, regulatory audits, and supplier reviews.
Any other duties deemed suitable by your line manager and as reasonably required by the business.
COMPETENCIES
Highly accountable and takes ownership of issues through to resolution.
Improvement driven, proactive, and energetic.
Influential communicator who can challenge and win support both internally and externally.
Organised, resilient, and effective in fast-paced, demanding environments.
Committed to high standards of delivery, quality, and commercial performance.
WORK EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:
Essential
Significant experience in supply chain, procurement, or supplier performance management within gas turbine, aerospace, defence, or high precision manufacturing.
Proven track record resolving and improving quality, delivery, and commercial issues.
Strong experience driving continuous improvement and supplier performance enhancement.
Skilled leader with experience managing and developing procurement teams.
Understanding of engineering drawings and manufacturing processes such as machining, special processes, and complex assemblies.
High proficiency with MRP/ERP systems and data driven analysis.
Strong communication, influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
Desirable
Experience with suppliers of precision machining, coatings, heat treatment, NDT, and specialist aerospace processes.
Familiarity with lean principles, CI tools, and supply chain optimisation.
Knowledge of defence supply chain requirements, export controls, and industry standards.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field, such as:
Supply Chain Management
Procurement / Commercial Management
Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, etc.)
Business Management
Preferred:
Master’s degree in engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or Business (e.g., MSc, MBA).
Professional certifications such as:
CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply)
APICS / ASCM (CPIM or CSCP)
Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt
Strong evidence of ongoing professional development in supply chain excellence, quality management, or continuous improvement.
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Crewe CW2: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Bachelor's Degree in a field (preferred)
Work Location: In person
