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Hays

Senior Buyer

Hybrid

Waterside, United kingdom

Senior

Freelance

09-02-2026

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Skills

Communication Negotiation Process Improvement Recruitment

Job Specifications

About the role

As a Senior Buyer in Cargo Procurement, you will lead the end-to-end sourcing process for goods and services that support air cargo operations. This includes developing and implementing category strategies, negotiating commercial terms, and ensuring compliance across all operating companies. The role requires strong operational understanding—ideally in cargo or airline operations—to manage complex procurement needs such as freight handling, logistics, and ground services. You will collaborate with stakeholders to standardise specifications, analyse RFP outputs, and draft contracts, while driving supplier innovation and maintaining governance. Your work will directly impact how efficiently parcels and shipments move through the supply chain, ensuring timely delivery and cost optimisation.

Tell me more, tell me more…

Our client is currently looking for a new recruit in joining their team, please read on!

You can also ask our friendly recruitment team any questions you may have about the role, between 8:30am-5:30pm Monday to Friday.

Shifts: Monday – Friday (37.5 hours per week)

Experience and Skills Required:

Proven negotiation record in the multinational environment
Experience in legal contract drafting
Strong aptitude and knowledge across full commodity lifecycle and awareness of market trends and suppliers
Strong business and financial acumen with ability to evaluate, analyse and solve problems
Ability to influence, align diverse views and gain consensus, providing clarity and direction on what is to be achieved and break down barriers that get in the way of effective team working
Ability to prioritise, maintain clear focus and provide direction in constant ambiguity and change, using knowledge, judgment, resilience and courage to resolve conflicting priorities and manage crises
Ability to operate effectively in an environment with tight deadlines and finite resource and uncertainty
Commitment to service excellence and process improvement
Language skills: English mandatory, Spanish as an asset.

Responsibilities

Implement category plan strategy as defined by Head of Category and Category Leads by leading the end to end sourcing process.
Negotiate with suppliers on all commercial terms (including remote and in-person negotiations).
Draft agreements using clients contractual templates or supplier contracts (with support from client legal team).
Work with stakeholders and the Procurement team to prepare RFP specs and structure, agree suppliers, milestones and evaluation criteria.
Provide guidelines/methodology to Procurement team for RFP analysis.
Develop and manage defined communication channel(s) and/or stakeholder groups (within and outside of Group Procurement).
Provide governance and decision making related to external spend with the supply base.
Lead specification simplification and alignment activities across all group companies.
Provide commercial innovation to internal stakeholders through interaction with the supply base.
Work seamlessly with other functions within the Procurement Operations Centre team (POC) to manage the entire sourcing process; Supplier Intelligence, Procurement team and Planning.
Work with suppliers to grow and develop supplier markets.
Maintain regular contact with customers and other stakeholders.

What’s in it for you? –

Our client loves to reward their people for doing a great job.

This is a contract until end of 2026.
A daily rate, in-scope of IR35, either PAYE or Hays approved Umbrella company.
This role provides a hybrid working access from the comforts of your own home and only going to our state-of-the-art office in Waterside (3) days per week.
May involve international travel

Next Steps

Once you’ve applied, one of our friendly recruitment consultants will give you a call and talk you through the screening process.

If your application is successful, you’ll be involved in a live virtual interview with one of our client’s hiring managers to get to know you better.

We look forward to speaking to you!

About the Company

We are leaders in specialist recruitment and workforce solutions, offering advisory services such as learning and skill development, career transitions and employer brand positioning. As the Leadership Partner to our customers, we invest in lifelong partnerships that empower people and businesses to succeed. We help you achieve your career goals and deliver your business needs by combining meaningful innovation with our global scale and insights. Last year we helped over 280,000 people find their next career. Join the mill... Know more