Technical Buyer
Ontic, a leading licensor and manufacturer of complex engineering parts for the global aerospace and defence industries, is recruiting for a Technical Buyer to join our growing Supply Chain team at our Staverton site.
We are more than just a business; we are a community of innovators. At Ontic, talent thrives, ideas flourish, and careers are built. We are committed to excellence, continuous improvement, and staying at the forefront of our industry.
The Role
As a Technical Buyer, you will be responsible for the quality, cost, and delivery performance of allocated suppliers and product lines. You will ensure purchased parts, materials, and services are supplied on time to support original equipment production, aftermarket, and spares requirements.
This is a hands-on purchasing role that requires strong supplier management skills and proven experience in a manufacturing, aerospace, engineering, or technical production environment. You will need to confidently interpret technical drawings, specifications, bills of materials, and engineering documentation to support accurate sourcing, supplier communication, and issue resolution.
You will manage supplier orderbooks, support RFQ activity, negotiate with suppliers, assess supply chain risks, and work cross-functionally to resolve delivery, quality, commercial, and technical supply issues.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage the RFQ process, supplier negotiations, and conversion of purchase demand into purchase orders.
- Evaluate supplier capability, pricing, lead times, delivery performance, quality performance, and commercial suitability.
- Schedule, place, and manage purchasing documentation, including design data packs, RFQs, and purchase orders.
- Manage supplier orderbooks to ensure on-time delivery in line with business and customer requirements.
- Act as the main point of contact for supply chain matters relating to allocated suppliers and product lines.
- Maintain accurate ERP/MRP data, including supplier delivery commitments, pricing, lead times, order status, and purchasing master data.
- Ensure design data revisions are up to date with suppliers.
- Review and interpret technical drawings, specifications, bills of materials, and engineering documentation.
- Work closely with Engineering, Quality, Production, Planning, Finance, Stores, and Supplier Quality Assurance to resolve supply issues.
- Resolve invoice queries in collaboration with Accounts Payable and suppliers.
- Organise and lead supplier business reviews to monitor and improve supplier performance.
- Undertake supplier site visits as required to support engagement, delivery recovery, risk mitigation, and performance improvement.
- Identify, communicate, and manage cost variances.
- Support total cost of acquisition reduction opportunities and improvement plans.
- Identify supply chain risks and implement practical countermeasures to protect production continuity.
- Support new supplier introduction activity in line with the business source change process.
- Escalate supplier performance, delivery, commercial, or quality concerns where required.
- Maintain positive working relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
- Ensure compliance with business policies, procedures, approval processes, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and customer flow-down requirements.
- Identify opportunities for continuous improvement within purchasing and supply chain processes.
About You
You will have proven purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience gained within a manufacturing, aerospace, engineering, precision machining, fabricated components, or technical production environment.
You will be confident working with engineered components and technical documentation, and you will bring strong commercial awareness, supplier management capability, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
At Ontic, our culture is integral to how we work and deliver for our customers. We are looking for someone who has the right technical skillset and will thrive in our recognition and empowerment culture.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Experience in a purchasing, procurement, or supply chain role.
- Experience within manufacturing, aerospace, engineering, precision machining, fabricated components, or technical production.
- Experience purchasing engineered parts, components, materials, or services.
- Ability to read, understand, and interpret technical drawings, specifications, bills of materials, and engineering documentation.
- Strong supplier management and orderbook management experience.
- Excellent negotiation, organisation, and communication skills.
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to resolve pricing, delivery, supplier, and contractual challenges.
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems; Syteline experience would be advantageous.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office.
- Ability to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Production, Planning, Finance, Stores, and Supplier Quality Assurance.
- Strong analytical skills, including cost variance reporting and total cost of acquisition analysis.
- Ability to identify supply risks and implement practical mitigation plans.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and confident making decisions within business approval guidelines.
- Positive, can-do attitude with the ability to work effectively under pressure.
- Professional, respectful, and collaborative approach to internal and external relationships.
Essential Requirements
- Manufacturing, aerospace, or engineering purchasing experience.
- Ability to interpret technical drawings and engineering specifications.
- Experience purchasing engineered parts, components, materials, or services.
- Strong supplier and orderbook management capability.
- Experience working in an ERP/MRP-driven environment.
- Strong negotiation and communication skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
Desirable Requirements
- Aerospace supply chain experience.
- Experience with Syteline or similar ERP systems.
- CIPS qualification or working towards CIPS.
- Experience with supplier development, supplier performance improvement, or supplier risk management.
- Knowledge of aerospace quality requirements, regulatory standards, and customer flow-down requirements.
Benefits
At Ontic, we care about your financial, physical, and mental wellbeing. We offer a range of benefits that support what matters to you, alongside a culture of recognition, empowerment, and work-life balance.
Our benefits package highlights include:
- Up to 29 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- 10 hours paid volunteering time
- Annual goal share bonus scheme for all employees
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Program
- Discounts and offers from a range of retailers
Best Place to Work
We are more than the sum of our parts, and we have been recognised internally and externally for this.
We were ranked #9 in Best Companies’ Q3 leaderboard for Best Manufacturing Company, based on employee feedback. In our 2023 employee satisfaction survey, 72.5% of employees who took part said they are proud to work at Ontic.
No day is the same at Ontic. We have doubled in size over recent years and continue to grow rapidly. We attribute our success to empowering colleagues, creating opportunity, and fostering an environment of autonomy.
Our Values
Our values are intrinsic to everything we do:
- We share a common sense — we are a global family of specialists with a shared passion for precision.
- We have the freedom to choose — we are challengers and innovators with the freedom to think differently and challenge the status quo.
- We create the opportunity — we are change-makers with a clear direction and can-do spirit.
We are a fast-paced business with ambitious growth plans; so if you are dedicated, enthusiastic and always seeking ways to improve, you'll enjoy a career with us!
