Category Buyer | Cambridge | £38,000
 
Are you an experienced procurement professional who speclaises in upholstery and plastics commodities? This Category Buyer position offers the chance to influence sourcing strategy, work closely with engineering teams and contribute directly to NPI success within a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
 
If you enjoy autonomy, supplier ownership and working with detailed manufacturing drawings, this Category Buyer role will offer exactly that.
 
As a Category Buyer, you will benefit from:

Autonomy to manage your own categories and develop sourcing strategies
Exposure to a highly regulated, technically fascinating manufacturing environment
The opportunity to influence supplier performance and continuous improvement
Involvement in NPI activity with genuine impact on product development
Working closely with engineering, quality and production teams
Long‑term career development within a structured procurement function
As a Category Buyer, your responsibilities will include:

Managing a defined portfolio of upholstery and plastics commodities
Leading sourcing activity including RFQs, supplier evaluations and negotiations
Supporting NPI procurement activity, ensuring materials align with engineering and production requirements
Analysing manufacturing drawings and part templates to support accurate sourcing decisions
Developing category strategies that improve cost, quality, lead times and supply resilience
Building strong supplier relationships and resolving delivery, quality or technical issues
As a Category Buyer, your experience will include:

Demonstrated experience in commodity procurement (more than 3 years), specifically within Upholstery and Plastics commodities
Demonstrated experience of procuring for an NPI production environment
More than 5 years Procurement experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally within Aerospace or another highly regulated industry
Familiarity with interpreting manufacturing drawings and part templates
Experience developing and executing structured commodity strategies
Strong negotiation and supplier management skills
If you're ready to take the next step in your procurement career, this Category Buyer position could be the ideal move. Apply today with an up‑to‑date CV or call Amber at Rubicon for more information