Job Title
Senior Buyer - IT
Ref #
53183
Date posted
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Country
United Kingdom
Location
Woking
Business area
Procurement
Department
Indirect Procurement
Position level
G - Qualified Senior
Working time
Full Time
Contract type
Permanent
Working pattern
9am - 6pm Monday to Friday
What to Expect

We are recruiting for an IT Category Lead to join our fantastic Indirect Procurement team in Woking. As the IT Category Lead you will be responsible for the ongoing management of 2 specific sub-categories within IT. You will be responsible for the sub-category’s sourcing strategy and the execution of strategic and complex IT sourcing projects through the full procurement lifecycle

What You'll Do

  • Identifying commercial opportunities and sourcing strategies within (and where appropriate across) the various McLaren companies in the Information Technology expenditure category. 
  • Supporting the IT Category Manager in the delivery of agreed strategic objectives in line with the Information Technology strategy and relevant Business Plans. 
  • Providing expertise in the Information Technology sourcing category, including market knowledge and sourcing best practice. 
  • Supporting the IT Category Manager to define and deliver the IT category plans and identify appropriate sourcing strategies which generate benefits and achieve financial savings whilst mitigating risk for McLaren. 
  • Working with the tactical buying team to manage renewal contracts. 
  • Applying knowledge of IT services to implement appropriate contractual safeguards, SLAs and other operational measures to ensure vendors are incentivised to deliver a robust service. 
  • Providing day to day guidance as support for IT Services tactical buyer. 
  • Acting as liaison between McLaren and our vendors, ensuring requirements and concerns are fully understood and ensure these are fed back during the appropriate stages to the vendors. 
  • Confidently and competently negotiating with vendors at a high level ensuring best value and quality of service is maintained. 
  • Working collaboratively with all internal stakeholders (IT, Finance, Legal and Service Owners) throughout sourcing projects to ensure continued alignment of objectives. 
  • Ensuring consistent procurement processes are undertaken to select vendors that will provide optimum value and delivery for McLaren. This will include as appropriate, assessment of vendor risk, objective management of evaluation processes, negotiation and contract execution. 
  • Setting up and executing strategic and/or complex sourcing projects through the full procurement lifecycle, including (senior) stakeholder management. 
  • Applying knowledge of contractual terms and conditions ensuring commercially attractive terms are agreed and contract spend remains in budget while mitigating risk in such terms.
What You'll Bring
    • Demonstrated, previous experience delivering cost savings and spend rationalisation. 
    • Strong experience of planning, running and executing complex sourcing process end to end. 
    • Experience in setting up category plans and/or sourcing strategies in a technology environment which focusses on both short-term savings and risk mitigation as well as long term commercial opportunities. 
    • Excellent High level of communication skills to support cross-departmental and stakeholder liaison. 
    • Experience in drafting, reviewing and controlling contractual documentation. 
    • The ability to combine professional project management and procurement skills on large scale technology projects. 
    • Demonstrated ability to lead negotiations and support in the development of negotiation strategies for large and complex projects and contracts in IT. 
    • Adept at handling multiple projects and contracts concurrently. 
    • Well-developed negotiation skills in an IT/technology category underpinned by detailed contract knowledge including complex service scope and SLAs. 
    • Commercial awareness with an ability to assess risk in the appropriate context. 
    • Have a good understanding of license models of common IT software such as Microsoft and SAP. 
    What We'll Do for You

    We offer a wide – ranging benefits package, which includes:

    • Structured career development framework
    • 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
    • Enhanced company pension scheme
    • Discretionary annual bonus award
    • Private medical insurance and health cash plan
    • Life assurance 4x your basic salary
    • Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years’ service
    • Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
    • Generous parental leave policies including market leading maternity leave
    • A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice
    • Friends and family day
    • Opportunities to experience our fantastic cars 

    Qualifying criteria applies

    Who Are We?

    No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

    It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks. 

    McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey. 

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