Procurement Specialist

About Concurrent

We deliver mission-critical embedded computing solutions to operate in even the harshest of environments. Founded in 1985 to develop Multibus II boards, we’ve expanded our offering over four decades to become a trusted, reliable solutions provider in critical embedded applications.

We have a proven record of delivering technology to the world’s leading OEMs across industries including defence, telecoms, and aerospace. We operate facilities in Colchester and Theale in the United Kingdom and Woburn, MA and Los Angeles, CA in the United States.

Concurrent is a public company, quoted on AIM on the London Stock Exchange.

The Role

The Procurement Specialist role is predominantly to oversee purchasing activities in relation to components needed for our Products. It involves collaborating closely with the Planning, Engineering and Sales teams to ensure it is being purchased in line with the sales order book and pipeline.

What will I be delivering?

Supplier Performance

·        Managing on time deliveries through including maintaining outstanding purchase orders and deliveries with suppliers.

·        Benchmarking and evaluating supplier performances against KPIs such as delivery times, quality, and pricing against competitors.

Supplier Management

·        Maintaining accurate procurement records and documentation including NDAs, Due Diligence and final sign-off.

·        Managing request for quotation (RFQ) orders.

·        Minimum order quantity management, securing best pricing per batch order.

·        Conducting regular assessments of supplier capabilities, capacities, and financial stability.

·        Participating in strategic procurement planning and contributing to the development of sourcing strategies.

·        Optimising costs through effective negotiation, strategic sourcing, and continuous market analysis.

·        Implementing and managing KPIs for suppliers to ensure consistent performance and adherence to contractual agreements.

Purchase Savings

·        Working towards purchase savings KPIs, both at category management and as a Procurement team.

Rebate Creations

·        Setting and achieving rebate targets by negotiating favourable terms and agreements with suppliers with success measured on successful schemes implemented.

Increasing Payment Terms

·        Reviewing and understanding current payments terms and increasing in cash.

Lead-Time Reduction

·        Focusing on lead-time reduction strategies.

·        Consigning stock agreements and safety stock agreements.

Procurement Strategy and End of Life Management

·        Working with the Engineering team and securing last time buys to avoid production disruption, establishing clear protocols for timely communication between Procurement, Engineering and Strategy teams regarding component obsolescence to facilitate proactive decision-making.

·        Forecasting obsolescence risks and implementing strategies to address these risks.

·        Regularly reviewing alternative manufactured parts on CNC items and identify opportunities for cost reduction, lead time improvement, and enhanced product quality.

·        Collaborating with engineering teams to assess the feasibility of substituting components with more cost-effective alternatives without compromising performance.

·        Identifying and qualifying multiple suppliers for critical components to mitigate risks associated with single-source dependency.

What’s in it for me?

This role specifically needs someone who enjoys an agile environment and is creative to meet the ever-changing needs of our business. In the current climate it is not necessarily easy, but you will have a high-class Operations team around you who are always looking to evolve and grow (whilst having fun!). The successful candidate for this role will have the opportunity to make a difference both within their team and the wider company processes.

What do I need to bring with me?

Demonstrated knowledge and experience

·        Stakeholder management.

·        Financial acumen.

·        Strategic industry management – ability to create plans that help to predict the global market.

Technical skills and qualifications

·        CIPS qualification is preferred but not required as the qualification can be obtained through the business.

Behavioural competencies

·        Communication skills – written, verbal and listening.

·        Negotiation skills- contracts, pricing, and lead time.  

·        High level of problem solving and reasoning to solve it.

·        Confident in gathering information to make the right decision.

·        Relationship management.

Benefits for Working at Concurrent

·        Generous company pension scheme (up to 10% employer contribution)

·        Health Insurance, Life Assurance & Income protection

·        25 days holiday + Banks

·        Holiday purchase scheme

·        Cycle to work, Home & Tech and Tusker car salary sacrifice schemes

Equal Opportunity Statement

Concurrent recognizes and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Discrimination on any of these grounds is expressly forbidden. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community.