Sr. Strategic Buyer, Sourcing

Sr. Strategic Buyer, Sourcing

Date: May 3, 2026

Location:Garden Grove, CA, US

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The Senior Strategic Sourcing Buyer manages end-to-end sourcing strategies and negotiates complex Long-Term Agreements (LTAs). This role leads procurement initiatives for raw materials, services, and capital equipment in support of aerospace and defense manufacturing operations. The position plays a critical role in shaping Statements of Work (SOWs), supporting cross functional teams and ensuring supplier compliance with FAR/DFARS/ITAR regulations. This role focuses on high value, critical aerospace components, driving cost-out initiatives, process improvements and managing supplier performance.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Category Ownership

• Develop, execute sourcing strategies and negotiate multiyear long-term agreements for raw materials, indirect materials, services, tooling, and capital equipment.
• Analyze market trends, lead negotiations, supplier agreements and SOWs, focusing on cost, quality, delivery, favorable terms and robust service levels
• Evaluate supply‑base capabilities, capacity risks, and cost‑reduction opportunities to guide long‑term decisions.

SOW Development & Contract Leadership

• Collaborate with engineering, operations, quality, and program management teams to define clear, complete Statements of Work aligned with technical, quality, and delivery requirements.
• Manage contract lifecycles, renewals, and performance against key commercial and operational metrics.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Select qualified suppliers, conduct supplier evaluations, manage supplier performance, build and maintain supplier relationships
• Serve as the primary point of contact for strategic suppliers, facilitating performance reviews, recovery plans, and capability improvements.
• Drive supplier accountability in cost, quality, delivery, and risk mitigation.

Lean Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Ability to apply Lean principles (like value stream mapping, 5S, A3, Kaizen, PDCA, root cause analysis) to eliminate waste and make subcontracting processes efficient
• Utilize data driven tools to analyze procurement value streams and implement improvements that enhance workflow, reduce rework and improve supplier performance

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure adherence to government regulations (FAR/DFARS/ITAR) and AS9100, and defense contracting requirements.
• Monitor supply‑chain disruptions and geopolitical factors affecting category performance.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement or commodity management experience within aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Expertise in supplier negotiations, cost‑modeling, SOW creation, and contract management.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to solve complex problems, and capability to work in a collaborative environment
• In-depth understanding of indirect procurement categories and capital equipment sourcing.
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems, MS Office (especially Excel) fluency in data‑driven decision‑making skills
• Working knowledge of ITAR, AS9100, and defense‑industry procurement practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience within GKN or similar aerospace manufacturing environments.
• APICS, CPSM/CPM, or similar supply chain certification.
• LEAN, Six Sigma, or continuous‑improvement background.
• Experience leading cross‑functional sourcing efforts or acting as a category lead.
• Exceptional presentation and stakeholder engagement skills.

Compensation Data

Salary Range: $99,738 – $149,606

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.​
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Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles