Operational Buyer; Site

Overview

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries, we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. We are committed to sustainability and protecting the world’s democracies. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Indirect Operational Buyer role at the Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Bristol. Hybrid working pattern for an initial 18 month fixed-term contract.

• Support local operational buying for indirect procurement—help stakeholders navigate admin from raising POs to finding the right supplier or contract, and, when needed, help create new contracts.
• Provide on-the-ground procurement support for the GTC and central functions of the UK global headquarter (e.g., IT, HR, Legal).
• Be the on-site presence to ensure smooth transactions and closer collaboration between procurement and the business.
• Gather supplier performance feedback and insights to help category buyers and managers refine procurement strategies.
• Act as a trusted guide to stakeholders, improving processes and embedding procurement more personally and efficiently.

What are we expecting from you in 3 months, 1 year, and beyond?

To help us make a difference, you ll bring your passion and expertise with the following skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:

• Stakeholder and relationship management: you build easy, engaging, and productive working relationships.
• Process improvement: you are organized, bring structure to chaos, and ensure systems run smoothly.
• You are a self-starter with ambition, ready to build relationships, solve problems, and refine solutions as needed.

Experience:

• Experience as a buyer in indirect procurement with a mature operation and significant spend (e.g., £30M+).
• 3+ years of professional experience (5–7 years ideal).
• Strong analytics skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, spend management tools; AI familiarity preferred).
• Experience in large-scale manufacturing or heavily regulated industries (aerospace, automotive, pharma, nuclear, etc.).
• Degree in a commercial field or APICS/MCIPS qualification would be advantageous.

We offer challenges that excite and opportunities that inspire. You will be at the heart of Indirect Procurement at the UK GTC and our global headquarter, with access to strong training and development to support your career growth.

• Competitive salary (dependent on experience)
• Hybrid working—a mix of office and home flexibility
• Industry-leading pension scheme (company matches up to 8% at a 1:1.5 ratio)
• Life assurance (8x your salary)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Income protection
• Cycle To Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• A collaborative, dynamic working environment

We are committed to diversity, inclusion and belonging. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process; please let us know if you require reasonable adjustments.

We celebrate what makes us unique and strive to create an environment where everyone can contribute. This is a place where human dreams and human endeavour shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.