Head of Supply Chain – Underwater Battlespace and Autonomy, Defence Solutions

Job Title: Head of Supply Chain – Underwater Battlespace and Autonomy, Defence Solutions

Location: Portsmouth. 3 days per week onsite plus UK-wide travel

Salary: Up to £90,00 depending on skills and experience, plus car allowance and performance bonus

What you’ll be doing :

• Work as part of the Underwater Battlespace leadership team to deliver operational excellence and meet the needs of the business
• As part of the Supply Chain leadership team, support the development and delivery of future Supply Chain functional design and strategy to improve business performance
• Accountable for Procurement Operational Performance across Underwater Battlespace, developing and enacting the supply chain strategy
• Implement opportunities in key Underwater Battlespace UK and export markets to support business growth and margin expansion
• Lead business area category and sub-contract teams and work alongside Group teams to drive operational excellence through improvements in contract performance and PWIN
• Ensure effective Supplier Relationship Management strategies and plans are in place to support business performance and business winning
• Key technical and subject matter expert providing procurement and thought leadership. Seeking best practice internally and externally, to challenge existing methodologies and disciplines to define and resolve complex problems in areas critical to the achievement of the Underwater Battlespace sector and business unit objectives
• Ability to deputise for the Supply Chain Director
• Being a member of the senior Supply Chain leadership team

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Extensive experience working within a procurement/supply chain or similar environment, including across the lifecycle
• Excellent project management skills, product awareness, commercial acumen, contract negotiation and management, financial awareness, risk and opportunity management
• Experience in complex Engineering Supply Chains and a strong background in strategic supplier management and managing/mitigating supply chain risk
• Excellent cross-functional stakeholder management skills
• Excellent understanding of the external environment and relevant market intelligence
• Demonstrate leadership capability working in a complex business environment and setting strategic direction
• Previous experience in a leadership role, including direct management as well as oversight and influence in a matrix team
• Likely to be qualified to Degree standard/or equivalent, or hold a Level 6 professional qualification (for example, MCIPS, ISM or equivalent experience)

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Underwater Battlespace Procurement team:

Would you like to lead the Underwater Battlespace Procurement team in Defence Solutions? We currently have a vacancy to lead this Hampshire-based team at a really exciting time for Defence Solutions. The Underwater Battlespace business is enjoying a period of significant growth and will play a key part in the margin expansion and business growth of the wider Defence Solutions business. As a senior Supply Chain leader, you will support the delivery of key strategic programmes to strengthen and grow the underwater business in support of the Head of Underwater Battlespace, whilst contributing to the wider Supply Chain Strategy together with the Supply Chain Director. As well as leading the Procurement team, you will also contribute to the Products Business Unit management reviews, which incorporate radar, underwater battlespace and manufacturing, supporting the Products Programme Director.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 6th March 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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