Category Buyer
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