Procurement Manager

Working pattern: Monday - Thursday 08:00 - 16:00, Friday 08:30 - 15:30 - 37 hours per week, onsite.

Draken believes in fair reward and recognition for our employees. As such, we offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including up to 12% matching pension contributions, bonus incentives, discounted PMI, electric car scheme, tech vouchers, wellbeing programmes and much more.

The Role

Draken is a leader in the provision of Electronic Warfare and Red Air Aggressor Training, dedicated to delivering innovative solutions and high-quality products to our customers. We value strategic thinking, collaboration, and continuous improvement in our operations.

The Procurement Manager will play a critical role in supporting the Red Force programme by developing and executing effective procurement strategies across systems and integration of subsystems and deployable service solutions.

This role is responsible for managing key supplier relationships, leading commercial and contractual activities, and ensuring robust, compliant routes-to-supply that meet programme, cost, quality, and schedule objectives.

With a proven track record in manufacturing procurement, the role holder will bring strong procurement judgement, contract management expertise, and an ability to operate in a regulated, technically demanding environment.

Working closely with the Technology Team, Programmes, and other functional stakeholders, the Procurement Manager will provide strategic procurement leadership throughout the full lifecycle-from bid and source selection through contract award and in-service support-while actively managing risk, performance, and total cost of ownership.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement Leadership

• Develop and implement procurement strategies aligned to business and programme objectives.
• Analyse supply markets to identify opportunities, risks, and innovative sourcing approaches.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to understand technical requirements and programme needs.
• Assess supplier capability and resilience, ensuring alignment with engineering standards.
• Build and maintain effective supplier relationships to drive performance and minimise risk.

Project & Lifecycle Support

• Lead procurement activity for major bids, ensuring timely, compliant, and cost-effective outcomes.
• Support lifecycle milestones (including PDR/CDR) and contribute to bid/no-bid decisions.

Commercial & Contract Management

• Lead commercial negotiations for complex, high-value agreements.
• Draft, review, and manage contracts through governance processes.
• Apply strong understanding of contractual risk, IP considerations, and compliance standards.

Risk, Governance & Performance

• Ensure adherence to procurement governance, policies, and ethical sourcing practices.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including long-lead and constrained materials.
• Develop KPIs, report procurement performance, and capture validated savings.

What You'll Bring

• Proven experience delivering procurement strategies within complex manufacturing or operational environments.
• Strong commercial judgement across cost, risk, quality, and schedule.
• Experience handling complex commercial and contractual negotiations.
• Excellent understanding of contractual risks, remedies, and intellectual property considerations.
• Proven supplier selection, assessment, and performance management capability.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using ERP systems and supplier data platforms (e.g. JOSCAR).
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Commitment to best practice, professional standards, and continuous improvement within procurement.
• CIPS or other relevant procurement/supply chain qualifications (desirable).

Our employee values

Draken is committed to eliminating unlawful and unfair discrimination and we celebrate the differences that a diverse workforce brings. A range of perspective and talent supports our values and drives our success, with a mix of voices generating better discussions, business decisions and outcomes for all.

At all our sites internationally, every member of the Draken Europe team is accountable to ensure that we are all treated fairly and with respect.

We are also an Armed Forces friendly organisation, and as part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, welcome applications from veterans and services spouses and partners who met the criteria in our job specifications.

In line with our Disability Confident Commitments, we provide reasonable adjustments to facilitate our interview process, please liaise with us if any reasonable adjustments are required.

Whether it is adversarial support, electronic attack or customised rotary-wing training, we offer the most accurate and advanced readiness training in the industry. Our vast, differentiated fleet, cutting edge hardware and experienced instructors are engaged to help your mission take off.

Being ready is not only a matter of when. But where. We provide services in the UK, US and across the NATO countries. Making sure that our allies can manoeuvre around defeat and prepare to prevail.