Drive Vendor Sourcing & Selection

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard reliable manufacturing vendors across CNC machining, sheet metal, 3D printing, castings, forgings, and injection moulding tooling.

• Assess vendor capabilities against technical specifications, quality standards, material requirements, production volumes, and delivery timelines.

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with external suppliers and job shops.

• Support supplier selection by comparing technical capabilities, quotations, pricing, and lead times.

Manage RFQs & Supplier Negotiations

• Prepare and distribute Requests for Quotations (RFQs) to external manufacturing suppliers.

• Review and compare supplier quotations based on technical and commercial requirements.

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and lead times to achieve customer target prices and cost-reduction objectives.

• Coordinate with suppliers to resolve quotation queries and clarify manufacturing requirements.

• Prepare price break-ups where required to support sourcing and commercial decisions.

Translate Engineering Requirements into Manufacturing Specifications

• Read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, GD&T requirements, technical specifications, and 3D CAD models.

• Communicate manufacturing requirements accurately to external vendors.

• Apply knowledge of CNC machining and manufacturing processes to assess supplier feasibility.

• Work with suppliers to clarify technical requirements and address manufacturing-related questions.

Track Orders & Ensure On-Time Delivery

• Monitor vendor production schedules and order progress to ensure committed delivery timelines are met.

• Proactively identify and resolve production bottlenecks, material delays, and supplier capacity constraints.

• Follow up with suppliers to maintain delivery commitments and address potential delays.

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders and vendors to resolve order-related issues.

Support Quality Assurance & Supplier Performance

• Coordinate with the internal Quality Control team and suppliers to resolve defects, non-conformances, and deviations from engineering drawings.

• Support investigations into quality issues and follow up on corrective actions.

• Monitor supplier performance against on-time delivery and quality rejection metrics.

• Help ensure outsourced components meet agreed technical specifications and quality requirements.

Drive Market Analysis & Cost Optimisation

• Conduct market research to understand raw material prices, tooling costs, shipping costs, machining cycle times, and industry benchmarks.

• Develop should-cost estimates to assess the competitiveness of supplier quotations.

• Analyse manufacturing cost drivers to identify potential savings.

• Apply knowledge of manufacturing processes to support effective sourcing and costing decisions.

• Identify opportunities to improve machining cycle times through effective fixture and tooling methods.

Maintain Sourcing Data & Supplier Records

• Maintain accurate supplier performance metrics, purchase orders, pricing databases, and sourcing documentation in the ERP system.

• Ensure vendor information and commercial records are up to date.

• Track supplier pricing, delivery performance, and quality trends to support sourcing decisions.

• Maintain organised and accurate records to support procurement activities.