Procurement Agent
5 days ago
Gosport
Role: Procurement Agent \n Location: Gosport \n Duration: 12 months \n Role Type: Hybrid, 3 days a week onsite \n Salary: Depending on experience \n \n Overview: \n An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Procurement Agent to join the Vertical Lift Supplier Management and Procurement team, supporting our globally renowned aerospace client major subcontract activities. \n \n \n The successful candidate will take responsibility for managing a significant subcontract with a key supplier, supporting the maintenance and sustainment of the UK Ministry of Defence's Chinook fleet. With a contract value exceeding £100 million across core and additional tasking, this is a commercially significant role requiring strong supplier management, negotiation, stakeholder engagement and strategic procurement capability. \n \n \n Working closely with a key supplier, the client, and the UK MoD and wider cross-functional teams, the Procurement Agent will be responsible for ensuring supplier performance, contractual compliance, value creation and risk mitigation whilst contributing to the continuous improvement of Chinook maintenance and support operations. \n \n Key Responsibilities: \n\n • Manage the performance and commercial relationship of a major subcontract supporting UK Chinook aircraft maintenance and sustainment.\n, • Ensure supplier performance and procurement strategies align with the requirements of the Vertical Lift programme and wider business objectives.\n, • Establish, communicate and monitor supplier performance expectations, KPIs and contractual deliverables.\n, • Manage supplier performance across delivery, quality, financial stability and in-service support.\n, • Lead complex commercial negotiations and resolve contractual, supplier and performance-related issues.\n, • Draft, interpret and negotiate contractual language, Terms & Conditions and associated commercial documentation.\n, • Execute negotiated contractual documents and binding agreements.\n, • Develop procurement and contracting strategies that support programme objectives and long-term operational requirements.\n, • Identify and mitigate commercial, contractual and supply chain risks.\n, • Drive cost reduction, value creation and continuous improvement across supplier relationships.\n, • Identify opportunities for supplier innovation and performance improvement and integrate outcomes into future contracting strategies.\n, • Define procurement requirements that accurately reflect the needs of the Vertical Lift programme.\n, • Facilitate effective collaboration between Procurement, Programme, Engineering, Operations, suppliers, the UK MoD and other key stakeholders.\n, • Build strong strategic supplier partnerships whilst influencing outcomes across complex, cross-functional environments.\n, • Contribute to the development of innovative working practices and efficiencies supporting the future sustainment of the Chinook fleet.\n\n \n Skills & Experience: \n\n • Ideally 10+ years' relevant procurement, supply chain, subcontract or commercial experience, preferably within defence, aerospace or another complex regulated environment.\n, • Experience working within the UK defence sector, including knowledge of UK MoD regulations and contractual flow-down requirements.\n, • Strong commercial acumen with demonstrable experience drafting, interpreting and negotiating contractual Terms & Conditions.\n, • Proven experience managing major suppliers, subcontractors and strategically important commercial relationships.\n, • Strong supplier performance management capability, including KPI development and monitoring, risk management and corrective action.\n, • Demonstrable experience leading complex commercial and supplier negotiations.\n, • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to operate effectively across large, diverse and cross-functional teams.\n, • Ability to manage multiple competing priorities whilst maintaining excellent attention to detail.\n, • Strong analytical, critical-thinking and structured problem-solving capability.\n, • Experience identifying and delivering cost savings, value creation and continuous improvement opportunities.\n, • Strong planning and organisational skills with the ability to anticipate risks, manage resources and monitor performance.\n, • Adaptable and commercially focused, with the confidence to influence change and challenge existing ways of working.\n, • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong customer-focused approach.\n, • Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with SAP/ERP systems would be advantageous.\n, • Understanding of the Chinook platform would be highly desirable.\n, • Ability to travel between sites when required.\n\n \n Qualifications & Additional Requirements: \n\n • MCIPS accreditation would be advantageous.\n, • BPSS clearance required.\n\n \n Sadly, sponsorship cannot be provided. \n