Supply Chain Lead

QinetiQ comprises teams of dedicated people; experts in defence, aerospace, security and related markets. We draw on our extensive technical knowledge and intellectual property to provide the know-how and support to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.  Our people make the critical difference to customers by providing unique approaches to problem solving.  Why don’t you join some of the world’s finest scientific and technical minds and help us make tomorrow work today?

Role Purpose

The Supply Chain Lead (SCL) will be accountable for all strategic sourcing of goods and/or services in the specific areas assigned to them for the whole Group. This role is responsible for managing critical and complex New Product Development / Introduction phases and timely delivery of procurement sourcing projects.

The Supply Chain Lead will be responsible for negotiating favourable terms, volume discounts and long-term contracts with suppliers and prepares and processes requisitions and purchase orders for the procurement of technical equipment, custom engineered products, systems, software or components. Acquires and maintains understanding of technology trends, market forces, cost trends and supplier technology road maps. Reviews purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to organisation policy and discusses defects and delivery problems with suppliers and negotiates refunds.

The role is responsible for driving the cost effective and timely delivery of Group Supply Chain & Procurement (GSC&P) sourcing projects. The Lead has both internal and external recognition as an expert and is responsible for driving the sourcing process, supplier risk management, and collaboration with business leadership to develop the procurement strategy for the full range of GSC&P projects.

Sourcing exercises will be initiated both by internal stakeholders to work on cost centre funded projects, or subcontracts in support of customer funded work. Work in this area is focused around high tech, niche goods & services.

The Lead will need to be able to develop new supplier relationships in order to meet QinetiQ’s future aspirations. This will require knowledge of specific manufacturing, defence, engineering and associated supply chains.

The role will form part of the Procurement Extended Leadership, contributing to the structure and ethics of the department, correct deployment of resources to meet all customer requirements, and ensuring a consistently high standard of performance is expected and achieved from all GSC&P staff.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop strong relationships with leaders and key decision-makers in order to influence behaviours and ensure appropriate involvement of GSC&P in all sourcing activities.
• Maintain awareness of the restrictions, controls and accreditations that are placed upon suppliers working in a Defence environment, ensuring at all times that both sourcing strategies and the incumbent supplier base do not jeopardise or threaten internal compliance.
• Collaborate with the Category Procurement Team to identify opportunities to utilise extant supplier relationships and frameworks that leverage Group scale. Conversely, the Supply Chain Lead – Manufacturing & Disruptive Technologies will be responsible for identifying repeat requirements from the projects pipeline and placing demands on the Category Procurement Team to deliver suitable, long term contracting mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with process, governance and controls as agreed in the Group Supply Chain & Procurement Code of Practice and Sourcing methodology.
• Collaboratively develop plans with key stakeholders to ensure alignment of targets, improve supplier performance, and implement continuous improvement plans across spend.
• Collaborate with adjacent Leads to develop and enhance systems, process, and best practice sharing to help QinetiQ achieve best in class performance, and bring consistency to sourcing activities.
• Develop robust workload planning tools and trackers that shape the team’s priorities and track actual against planned progress. This should be driven from the business pipeline of projects.
• Develop less experienced team members through the provision of direct and actionable feedback, and creation of meaningful development plans.

Key Capabilities/Knowledge

• Leads large number of stakeholders through the GSC&P and bidding processes.
• Seeks to influence external customer requirements, recommends and executes solutions to minimise risk and significantly improve probability of winning external bids & tenders.
• Influences adjacent functional team senior management to improve solution design or commercial offering.
• Recognised as an expert within the organisation; within and beyond the primary function.
• Leads teams to achieve objectives and delivery milestones.
• Able to work autonomously in a complex environment.
• Ability to foresee and solve challenges that may have a broad impact on the wider business.
• Adaptive and change focused; able to adapt pace of delivery to meet business requirements.
• Natural and articulate around senior management. Good listening skills and able to focus on issues critical to senior leaders. Can deliver communication concisely and steer conversation towards decisions needed.
• Has the technical skill combined with sufficient gravitas to be recognised as a subject matter expert
• Highly customer focused and concerned with meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
• Highly results oriented. Keeps the organization on track and delivery oriented.
• Both a ‘doer’ to ‘leader’ and can comfortably adapt style to teach, coach, or delegate, as appropriate.
• Emotionally intelligent and comfortably relates to many different types of people. Is personally self-aware of strengths and weaknesses.

Experience & Qualifications

• Advanced manufacturing processes, techniques and associated supply chains.
• Influencing, creating and executing strategic Make Vs. Buy decisions.
• Proven experience in developing Route to Market and Speed to Delivery Strategy
• Proven experience in supporting New Product Development/Introduction and R&D activities
• Proven experience in sourcing highly complex engineering equipment and sub-systems, and low volume and high mix EEE components
• Proven experience in setting up new supply chain for new product manufacturing
• Proven experience in developing suppliers and improving their performance
• Global strategic sourcing of high technology goods and services.
• Management and mitigation of supply chain risk & creation of opportunity.
• Adept at business relationship management; internally & externally facing.
• Degree in a Business or Engineering discipline, or equivalent experience.
• CIPS Qualified or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in a Procurement or Supply Chain related role
• Knowledge of procurement systems and infrastructure.
• Proven contract negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated written and verbal leadership and influencing skills.