Direct Commodity Buyer - Powertrain components

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Bertrandt is hiring a Direct Commodity Buyer for Powertrain components in Basildon on a 12‑month IR35 contract, with 4–5 days onsite and one day WFH. You must be eligible to work in the UK and hold a UK driver’s license. The role centers on sourcing and strategy for the ICE to BEV transition, benchmarking to build a world‑class supply base, and delivering cost, quality and capability targets while ensuring supplier capacity. You’ll monitor supplier quality, drive cost reductions, manage raw material negotiations, and collaborate cross‑functionally to meet program timing. Ideal candidates have 3+ years in automotive purchasing, strong negotiation and data skills, and a proactive, collaborative mindset. Tips: quantify wins, highlight EV transition experience, confirm UK requirements and travel readiness.

We are Bertrandt.

An independent, international engineering service provider with decades of expertise. With cross-industry know-how and a comprehensive understanding of systems and products, we create technological solutions across the entire value chain. We focus on the trending topics of digitalization, e-mobility, and autonomous systems, primarily for the automotive, aerospace, defense, and mechanical engineering industries, consistently enabling the development of tailor-made solutions. Our goal: to accelerate technological progress and make a meaningful contribution to a sustainable future. We work toward this every day - with approximately 12,000 employees at over 50 locations worldwide. 

 We are recruiting for a Direct Commodity Buyer – Powertrain components for our customer.

The role will be 4-5 days onsite with maximum 1 WFH per week

Please note this role is a 12 month contract

The position is confirmed inside IR35. Successful candidates need to be eligible to work in the UK, hold a UK driver’s license.

Role and responsibilities: 

• A great opportunity to work in commodity purchase with a supply base facing unprecedented levels of change with the move from internal combustion engines to EV/AV.
• Sourcing
• Develop sourcing strategies looking at the transition from ICE to BEV  to leverage best value outcomes for the business in value, quality, efficiency and capability with a financially stable & optimal supply base.
• Perform benchmarking activities such as market tests to create/maintain a world-class supply base and follow sourcing processes
• Complete sourcing documentation in line with program timing & cost targets
• Place production purchase / tool orders in line with purchasing procedure
• Ensure suppliers have sufficient installed capacity to support Ford volumes

Quality

• Monitor supplier quality performance versus Ford expectation (working with Supplier Technical Assistance)

Cost

• Drive supplier performance to deliver non-design / design annual part cost reduction targets Lead cost recovery actions (e.g. warranty claims, supplier overpayments etc.)
• Manage Cost & Design Targets with cross functional team Work with Cost Estimating to identify commercial opportunities based on supplier part cost breakdowns and Optimal Cost Estimates (OCEs)
• Handle Raw Material negotiations & support distressed supplier management

What you bring along:

Skills required:

• Strong business and commercial acumen and excellent written and verbal abilities 
• Demonstrable understanding of current challenges facing the automotive industry and the role of purchasing to support the business
• Excellent negotiation skills to drive cost reduction and protect supply
• Outstanding interpersonal skills including relationship building
• Experience of working in cross functional teams
• Excellent numerical and analytical data skills
• Fully competent with Microsoft Office Tools
• An ability to present competently
• An ability to travel on company business as required
• Strong organizational and project management skills; self-starter

Experience required:  

Minimum 3 years’ experience required within a Purchasing setting, preferably automotive.

At Bertrandt, we place great importance on equal treatment and equal opportunity. Our hiring decisions are based on the experience and skills of the applicants. People with severe disabilities or those deemed equivalent under SGB IX are warmly welcomed and will be given preference in hiring if equally qualified.

Are you interested?

We look forward to receiving your application!