Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom
In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.
Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across five major industries; Aerospace, Defence, Ground Transportation, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.
R0253784 Category Buyer
Location - Any Thales UK Site
Hours of Work: 37 hrs/week (Hybrid)

Our Opportunity:

Thales UK Procurement function has 39 categories across six segments.
A superb opportunity to join our Category Management team has arisen in Segment C (Mechanical).
The Category Buyer will manage the Mechanical components & commodities procurement category, supporting all of the UK business groups and working as part of the Global category team.

What the role has to offer:

• End to end role will be to manage end to end performance of the acquisition process via the management of the RFI &/or RFP's until the Pvet 4 stage for critical work packages
• Lead major business critical supplier selection exercises to support business needs
• Working with the Global Category Manager, ensure the deployment, implementation and monitoring of agreed category strategies
• Responsible for supplier relationship management and continuous improvement of suppliers within their category (with the support of Supplier Performance Management Team if needed)

About you:

We are looking for the individual to be accountable for ensuring the most up-to-date knowledge of their supplier market, particularly in metal manufacturing, including new innovations and key emerging technologies relevant to this category. You will be responsible for end to end performance of the acquisition process via the management of the RFI &/or RFP's.
You will be expected to support major / business critical supplier selection exercises to support business needs. As well as the deployment, implementation and monitoring of agreed category strategies.
An essential element of his role is to ensure that the suppliers provide the competitiveness required to support the business and to introduce optimal supply base changes to support business-winning capability.

Key Skills

• Strong involvement in defining/ updating the strategy with the Group Category Manager
• Strong implementation of the strategy on an operational basis.
• Has ability to use the "Thales tool box" in order to lead the category and manage the suppliers.
• Strong contractual knowledge especially of framework agreements, Liability & insurance.
• Ability to lead complex negotiation including import / export considerations
• Understanding of the market for the category under his control but also ability to understand the customer’s stakes, needs and program issues
• Mastering economic models for the category so that increased value can be added to Thales and the supply base.
• Proven ability to challenge and develop innovative supply chain / procurement analysis (CCO, should cost) that adds value to the business and end customers.
• Ability to manage complex sub-contracts including risks & opportunities and ability to identify Purchasing levers .
• Good knowledge of the best practice acquisition process.

Security Clearance statement

This role will require SC Clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.
To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.
For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency - United Kingdom Security Vetting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefits at Thales

We strive to create an environment where you can prioritise your wellbeing and have designed our benefits to give you the flexibility and power to do so. Our core benefits include a pension plan, healthcare cash plan, life assurance, income protection as well as an employee assistance programme.
In addition, our flexible benefits platform gives you the power to customise your benefits to suit your needs. You can choose to add a number of optional benefits including: private medical insurance, health assessments, buying/selling annual leave, gym membership discounts + much, much more. You can also enjoy exclusive access to our discount site!
Alongside a competitive base salary, we offer 27 days annual leave + 1 company day + UK public holidays as well as the opportunity to volunteer up to 3 days to support local charities/communities in which we work.
Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to our success.

What We Can Offer

We’re committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry.
We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.

Flexibility

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.
If you are interested in this role, we would encourage you to have informal chat with the assigned recruiter.
Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.
Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

#LI-MC3

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!