Why Southco?
With over 70 years of engineering excellence and more than 3,000 employees across 20 countries, Southco is a global leader in engineered access solutions — products that you and thousands of others interact with every day. Our locks, latches, fasteners, hinges and handles serve virtually every industry worldwide.
The opportunity
We’re looking for a Project Buyer to join our New Product Development (NPD) team at our Worcester, UK site — the critical link between front-end product design and back-end operations. Working within a cross-functional team alongside Quality Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers and NPD specialists, you’ll lead procurement activity from earliest concept through prototyping and into full volume production.
This is a role for someone who has done it before — ideally within a first-tier or second-tier automotive supply chain — and who understands the discipline, pace and quality expectations that environment demands.
What you’ll do
- Engage with NPD and Project Management teams from the early design stage to provide reliable budget and firm cost and delivery proposals from approved supply chain sources.
- Manage RFQ packages end-to-end, targeting an initial budget proposal within 24 hours and a firm proposal within three working days.
- Lead supplier identification, selection and qualification for new projects, evaluating vendors against technical, commercial and quality criteria.
- Negotiate pricing, tooling costs, lead times and payment terms to achieve project cost targets and build long-term supplier partnerships.
- Manage all procurement through prototyping, tooling, capital assets and external testing — raising purchase orders and tracking milestones throughout.
- Lead the transition from prototype approval into initial and volume production, then prepare and deliver a formal handover to the facility Production Buyer at PPAP sign-off.
What we’re looking for
- A minimum of 2 years’ experience in procurement or supply chain within a manufacturing environment — experience in the automotive industry is essential, with a clear understanding of first-tier customer requirements including APQP, PPAP and FAI processes.
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, tolerances and materials specifications, with familiarity across processes such as stamping, plastic injection moulding and die-casting.
- A proven track record of gaining supplier commitment against demanding cost, quality and delivery requirements during new product introduction.
- Excellent communicator who can operate confidently across engineering, quality and commercial functions in a fast-moving NPD environment.
- A degree in engineering, supply chain or a related discipline is preferred.
Why join us?
Southco employees enjoy an excellent work/life balance, globally competitive compensation, and connections with colleagues from around the world who share the same vision and passion. Being part of the Southco family means being part of a success story that spans almost a century — one still being written by people just like you.
At Southco, our employees are at the heart of what we do. We’re a family and strive to maintain our culture.