The Supply Chain Engineer primarily supports the effective delivery of Cranfield Precision New Equipment & Aftermarket projects, including the technical management and development of the supply chain – while being integrated as part of the wider supply chain team to support all Cranfield Precision (CP) & Fives Landis Ltd (FLL) projects and initiatives.
The role acts as the key interface between suppliers and internal Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Project and Quality teams.
Procurement:
Working in close partnership with the FLL Procurement team, the role will ensure that procurement for projects is planned, scheduled and delivering in line with the project timeline. This includes identifying supply-chain risks, develop technically capable sources of supply, improving supplier performance and help ensure that components and services are obtained from the right suppliers on time, using agreed systems and processes.
Manufacturing:
Work closely with the CP workshop & FLL manufacturing teams to track and correctly prioritise manufactured parts and assemblies through the business, ensuring that the projects are correctly forecast, prioritised and balanced in line with the wider business priorities – highlighting delays to management and project teams, and escalating where there is a risk to project delivery.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- Monitor supply chain activity, including purchasing & manufacturing activity against project requirements and priorities.
- Identify technically critical, long-lead-time or difficult-to-source components and develop practical mitigation plans.
- Support cost control and the use of appropriate strategic purchasing routes.
- Work with Procurement to reduce dependency on high-risk suppliers and identify alternative sources where required.
- Understand the overall business manufacturing situation and priorities, including the workload on existing internal & external supply chain, applying this understanding to prioritise appropriately and with consideration of the overall business need.
- Maintain and expedite deliveries directly to CP, ensuring appropriate MRP traceability and delivery instructions – with clear communication with the FLL Procurement team.
- Coordinate priority purchase orders within agreed authority and approval processes, maintaining full visibility with the FLL Procurement team.
- Work regularly between both CP and FLL sites, to discuss face to face, and interact as one team with common goals and objectives.
- Participate in regular project and supply-chain reviews, providing clear status, risk and action reporting, ensuring that CP’s priorities clearly represented and correctly positioned and visible.
- Assess supplier manufacturing capability, processes, technical competence and capacity.
- Act as the technical interface between suppliers and internal Engineering, Procurement and Quality teams.
Support new supplier identification, selection, technical evaluation, onboarding and development.- Collaborate with Engineering, Project Management, Manufacturing and Quality to resolve technical, quality, capacity and delivery issues.
- Support supplier approval, non-conformance resolution, corrective actions and Cranfield Precision Quality / ISO activities.
- Follow and improve SAP, procurement and quality-management processes, maintaining accurate and auditable records.
- Understand and work at all times in line with Fives Values and Directives, specifically following the highest standards of health and safety.
- Responsible for complying with all the Company’s Data Protection, Information Security and Cyber Security requirements and policies.
- Carry out any other reasonable duties as requested.
Key skills requirements:
- Technical or engineering background, with the ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications and manufacturing requirements.
- Experience in supply-chain engineering, technical purchasing, procurement or supplier development within an engineering or manufacturing environment.
- Experience of complex, bill-of-material-driven manufacturing.
- Experience of assessing supplier capability, identifying new sources and supporting supplier development.
- Sound commercial awareness and supplier negotiation experience.
- Experience of MRP / ERP systems; SAP experience is preferred.
- Understanding of purchasing controls, purchase-order management, delivery expediting and approval processes.
- Experience of working within a quality-management system; ISO experience is preferred.
- Strong stakeholder-management, communication and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work alone or as part of a team, being collaborative and process-driven, with the ability to work independently, manage changing priorities and meet project deadlines.
- Willingness to travel to suppliers and spend time at Fives Landis sites as required.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Project, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Able to travel within the UK and internationally, typically for short periods.
- Ability to work alone or as part of a team.
- Able to manage own time and meet tight deadlines.