Senior Sub Buyer

The Opportunity

The role of a Senior Subcontract Buyer at Leonardo offers a wide variety of experiences and is both exciting and challenging in its nature. This role in particular represents a unique opportunity for a high calibre candidate to thrive and grow within the Surveillance & Protection Technologies (S&PT) sector.

This role will involve supporting a variety of complex assignments for both Production and Development Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s). The focus for this role will be the management of high value and high-risk sub-contract commitments for an emerging requirement that requires strategic thinking.

This role will require a demonstrated ability to manage internal and external relationships and will require experience of working cross-functionally in a matrix organisation, in order to influence a breadth of business decisions throughout the Life Cycle Management (LCM) framework. The individual will have strong and effective communication skills, with the ability to develop and nurture internal customer relationships, promote customer intimacy and team working.

The individual will need to demonstrate successful subcontract management by developing and managing robust contracts which mitigate commercial risk and address lifecycle factors whilst fostering and maintaining supplier relationships

• Lead the delivery of sub-contract management activities and other procurement related services which may be required by the business
• Lead relationships with Strategic Leonardo suppliers, holding Supplier Business Reviews, ensuring performance management, risks and impacts.
• Provide leadership and governance in business winning and programme delivery with minimum supervision.
• Accountable for the Procurement activities within the Procurement & Development IPTs
• Negotiate complex agreements and risk/reward mechanisms for business case models
• Translate customer / project requirements into commercial documents, particularly pertaining to the design, development and production of bespoke complex electronic systems and sub-systems
• Understand mechanisms of mitigating risk associated with entering into commercial agreements
• Develop and negotiate robust contracts for services, intangible and tangible deliverables
• Working in collaboration with cross functional stakeholders to ensure the flowdown of appropriate terms and conditions from customer contracts to enable compliance with contractual obligations and mitigate commercial / contractual risks
• Promotes customer intimacy in both internal and external relationships
• Focal point for project and suppliers regarding contract and supply base matters
• Drives and leads strategies to influence business decisions throughout the project life cycle
• Identify solutions for complex areas of potential risk /opportunity e.g. sub-contract risk, IPR, liability and exchange rate exposure etc. and deliver solutions/mitigations
• Draft and prepare complex contract documentation using standard and non-standard formats
• Lead the generation and review of 'appropriate' specifications and Statement of Work documents
• Promotes a culture of best practice and sharing of knowledge within the function and across the wider business
• Construct and lead the contracts and supply chain management Life Cycle Management (LCM) deliverables
• Work with stakeholders, at all levels, in order to understand customer requirements and critical success factors
• Management of Export Compliance, restrictions and third party rights for all procured items and services
• Operate as a locally acknowledged expert within the function

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and…