Technical Buyer and Supply Chain Recruitment
Engineering and technical appointments within advanced manufacturing.
A good technical buyer reads a drawing, understands how a part is made and knows what it should cost. That combination is rare. Core Search finds buyers and supply chain leaders who protect your margin and your delivery.
Roles we recruit
Technical Buyers
Buying machined parts, fabrications, castings, composites and electronics against drawings and specifications.
Senior Buyers
Owning categories and key suppliers, negotiating terms and reducing cost and risk.
Commodity and Category Managers
Strategy for a commodity or category across sites, suppliers and programmes.
Procurement Managers
Leading buying teams, policy, supplier performance and cost savings.
Supply Chain Managers
End-to-end flow from suppliers to customer: planning, inventory, logistics and delivery.
Supplier Development Engineers
Improving supplier capability, quality and capacity, and onboarding new suppliers.
Systems and skills we search for
We search across every common system and skill. If your team uses it, we can find people who know it.
ERP and procurement systems
SAP MM and Ariba, Oracle, Epicor, IFS, Sage X3, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, Coupa and Syspro.
Commercial skills
Should-cost and cost breakdown analysis, negotiation, make or buy, contracts, dual sourcing and supplier risk, and CIPS qualifications.
Technical knowledge
Reading engineering drawings and GD&T, machining, casting, forging, sheet metal, composites, electronics and surface treatments, and export control for defence work.
Why these hires are hard
Buyers who understand engineering and manufacturing processes are much rarer than general procurement professionals, and engineering businesses all want the same people.
Sector knowledge matters too. A buyer who knows aerospace or motorsport supply chains brings supplier relationships and pricing insight that take years to build.
How we search
- We challenge the specification where it narrows the pool without adding value. For example, we ask whether a specific ERP system matters or whether technical and commercial skill counts for more.
- We map the local market before we start, so you know how many people fit and what they earn.
- We headhunt directly, including buyers at your competitors and in adjacent supply chains.
- We test technical depth before you meet anyone: commodities bought, spend managed, savings delivered and how they handle a failing supplier.
- We manage the offer and the counter-offer, so a good process does not fall over at the last step.
Who we work with
Motorsport and automotive manufacturers, aerospace and defence suppliers, machine builders and specialist manufacturers buying complex parts, across Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and the UK.
Questions
Do you recruit heads of procurement and supply chain directors?
Yes. Senior supply chain appointments are handled through our leadership search service.
How quickly can you shortlist?
For most roles, we share a market view within days and a shortlist within two weeks. Rare skills take longer.
What areas do you cover?
Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the wider Midlands are our base, and we recruit nationally.
Need a technical buyer or supply chain manager?
Tell us what you are trying to hire and we will tell you honestly what the market looks like.