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Simera Sense is a leading provider of Earth observation camera solutions for the global small satellite market. Committed to excellence and innovation, we deliver superior products and services to our worldwide customer base.

We are seeking a technically astute and commercially driven Technical Buyer to join our high‑precision engineering organisation. Operating at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and cutting-edge technology, this role plays a critical role in ensuring the availability of complex, high-specification materials, components, and services that meet exacting quality, performance, and regulatory standards. The successful candidate will work closely with engineering, production, and quality teams, translating technical requirements into robust sourcing strategies while building strong relationships with specialist suppliers in a fast‑paced, innovation‑led environment.

Position Type: Full-time

Remote Opportunity: No

Report To: Supply Chain Manager

Location: Somerset West, South Africa]

Job Purpose:

Ensure the timely, cost-effective, and technically accurate procurement of specialised components and materials that enable high-quality engineering, production, and project delivery.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard suppliers capable of meeting advanced engineering and technical requirements.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure reliability, cost competitiveness, and innovation contribution.
• Conduct supplier performance reviews, including quality, delivery, cost, and responsiveness.
• Monitor global and local supply trends to mitigate risk and identify alternative sourcing options.

Technical Procurement Execution

• Translate engineering specifications, drawings, and BOMs into accurate procurement requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering, R&D, and production teams to ensure alignment on material and component requirements.
• Assess technical equivalence of proposed alternative components or materials for cost, performance, and availability.
• Manage procurement for long-lead, high‑complexity, or custom-manufactured components.

Cost & Commercial Management

• Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, and supply agreements to support organisational cost‑saving and margin goals.
• Conduct total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses to optimise purchasing decisions.
• Maintain cost benchmarks, pricing intelligence, and competitive supplier comparisons.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce procurement costs without compromising quality.

Supply Chain Risk & Compliance

• Ensure all purchases comply with South African regulations, BBBEE requirements, and internal governance processes.
• Manage procurement risk through supplier diversification, contingency planning, and escalation processes.
• Monitor import/export controls, customs requirements, and logistics constraints affecting materials availability.
• Maintain auditable procurement records aligned with company standards.

Operational Procurement Excellence

• Process and manage purchase orders, delivery schedules, and supplier confirmations in collaboration with planning teams.
• Track and resolve supply issues proactively, including shortages, quality deviations, or late deliveries.
• Optimise inventory levels through accurate forecasting, order timing, and collaboration with production planning.
• Drive digital procurement adoption and ensure data accuracy in ERP/MRP systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering, quality, finance, and operations to ensure integrated decision‑making.
• Support project teams with procurement insights for new product development (NPD) and industrialisation activities.
• Provide procurement input during design reviews, value engineering initiatives, and feasibility assessments.
• Act as the procurement representative in technical discussions with suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Quality & Technical Assurance

• Verify conformance of procured goods against technical specifications, certificates, and compliance documents.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance on supplier audits, corrective actions, and non-conformance investigations.
• Facilitate technical clarifications between suppliers and engineering to ensure accurate manufacturing outcomes.

Required Qualifications:

National Diploma in Supply Chain Management, or Procurement / Purchasing Management, or Industrial Engineering, or Mechanical / Electrical / Mechatronic Engineering, or Operations Management

Required Experience:

• 3–5 years of experience in a procurement, technical buying, or supply chain role within an engineering, manufacturing, or technology-driven environment.
• Proven experience purchasing engineering components, such as precision-machined parts, electronics/PCBs, optical/mechanical assemblies, custom-manufactured or long-lead-time items.
• Interpreting technical drawings, BOMs, and specifications.
• Working directly with engineers, production teams, and suppliers to clarify technical requirements.
• Managing relationships with local and international suppliers.
• Conducting supplier evaluations, benchmarking, and performance monitoring.
• Resolving supply issues (late delivery, quality deviations, shortages).
• Negotiating pricing and commercial terms.
• Performing cost analysis, cost breakdown reviews, and sourcing alternatives.
• Working with TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) principles.
• Practical experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Syspro, Oracle, Sage, Epicor).
• Managing purchase orders, lead times, and procurement data.
• Ensuring data accuracy and supporting digital procurement processes.
• Experience in industries such as aerospace, electronics, optics, defence, renewable energy, and precision manufacturing
• Understanding of controlled documents, QA requirements, and traceability standards.
• Working closely with engineering, quality, finance, production, and planning teams.
• Supporting new product development (NPD) or industrialisation projects.
• Handling technical clarifications between internal teams and suppliers.

Technical Competencies:

• Understanding of procurement principles, processes, and best‑practice methodologies.
• Ability to conduct RFQs, tenders, supplier evaluations, and cost analyses.
• Knowledge of strategic sourcing techniques and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Basic understanding of manufacturing processes (machining, fabrication, electronics assembly, PCB manufacturing, optics, etc.).
• Familiarity with material properties, tolerances, and component standards.
• Understanding of supply chain flow, lead‑time management, and inventory principles.
• Knowledge of import/export regulations, INCOTERMS, customs processes, and logistics coordination.
• Ability to apply demand planning concepts and support production scheduling.
• Competence using ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Syspro, Oracle, Sage, Epicor).
• Ability to manage purchase orders, update lead times, maintain procurement data, and interpret system outputs.
• Understanding of data integrity principles within digital procurement systems.
• Ability to interpret pricing structures, cost breakdowns, and commercial terms.
• Analytical skills to perform cost comparisons, value analysis, and savings calculations.
• Knowledge of contract basics, SLAs, and compliance requirements.
• Understanding of quality assurance basics, including non‑conformance procedures, traceability, and certificate requirements.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, or similar standards (depending on industry).
• Ability to assess technical suitability and conformance of supplied goods.
• Supplier performance measurement, scorecarding, and auditing techniques.
• Knowledge of supplier development practices and risk‑mitigation methods.
• Understanding of BBBEE requirements and local supplier development frameworks (South Africa context).
• Proficiency in Excel/Sheets for procurement analysis (pivot tables, lookups, basic modelling).
• Ability to use analytics dashboards and procurement reporting tools.
• Strong documentation and record‑keeping ability for audit trails.
• Awareness of applicable regulatory requirements for technical goods and materials.
• Knowledge of safe material handling (especially for electronics, chemicals, or precision parts).

Recommendations:

• Experience with global sourcing, customs, and logistics.
• Exposure to ISO 9001, AS9100, or similarly regulated environments.
• Prior involvement in cost‑reduction or supplier development initiatives.
• Experience supporting R&D or prototype procurement cycles.

What we offer:

• The opportunity to work in the fast-growing space industry.
• Niche global market for optical payloads for microsatellites.
• Cutting-edge technology at your fingertips
• A competitive salary
• A friendly working environment.

Ready to make an impact?

Apply now by submitting your CV.