Senior Buyer at Humanoid (London, United Kingdom)Senior Buyer

Here at Humanoid, we believe in a future where robots amplify human potential. That’s why we’ve set out on a mission to build the world’s most capable, commercially-scalable, and safe humanoid robots. We’re bringing that mission to life with HMND‑01 Alpha - our rapidly developed humanoid platform now running in real industrial pilots - and we’re growing the team to take it even further.

We're hiring a Senior Buyer - Directs to join our team based in London, UK.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Buyer – Directs for an operational procurement role focused on P2P execution, supplier communication, and tactical sourcing support across Humanoid’s direct material commodity. The role supports the Procurement Manager, you will partner with teams in London, Boston, and Vancouver in delivering continuity of supply, cost performance, and operational excellence across Mechanical, Electronics, Electromechanical, Cables & Harnessing, and Software commodities

Operational Responsibilities

• Conduct market research to identify cost‑saving opportunities and understand price trends and supply risks.
• Support sourcing initiatives, including RFx processes, negotiations, and contract execution.
• Drive cost, lead‑time, and efficiency improvements with measurable KPIs.
• Capture business requirements and translate them into clear commercial packages.
• Negotiate optimal commercial terms (pricing, payment terms, lead times, Ts & Cs).
• Conduct price analysis and cost‑breakdown validation to ensure fair and equitable pricing.
• Process requisitions and purchase orders in line with procurement policies.
• Maintain accurate PO and supplier data within SAP and associated systems.
• Resolve supplier performance issues, discrepancies and understand the escalation process
• Communicate to internal stakeholders as appropriate.
• Minimise risk to continuity of supply by carrying out supplier risk assessments for the portfolio’s suppliers and implementing corrective actions as required.
• Support continuous improvement of procurement processes, documentation, and tools.
• Deliver KPI’s relating to cost, cash, quality, service and continuity of supply for the commodity proposals.
• Run MRP (SAP) and ensure timely availability of direct goods and services.
• Experience of implementing Supplier Relationship Management techniques / tools with suppliers (RMMs, Score Cards, Monthly Performance Reviews (MPRs), Communications Plans, Risk Management, DnB report, Sanctions list etc.)
• Support Production, Engineering, Quality, and Planning teams to meet manufacturing needs.
• Directly support the Procurement Managers in the regional area

This role supports the Commodity teams in sourcing activities but does not own commodity strategy or supplier selection decisions.

• 5+ years of direct procurement experience, ideally in manufacturing, robotics, technology, aero /defence or automotive
• Proven experience working within scaling direct procurement functions.
• Degree in Business, Law, Engineering, or related field.
• CIPS (MCIPS) Level 5 or equivalent; APICS CPIM desirable.
• Strong understanding of contract law, commercial terms, and negotiation frameworks.
• Awareness of export controls (including EAR) relevant to robotics and technology.

Technical Skills

• Proficient in Google Workspace, Slack, and database management.
• Experience with MRP/ERP systems; SAP highly desirable.
• Good analytical, numerical, and planning capabilities.
• A good understanding of the Legal Aspects associated with contracting within the Robotics & AI industry
• Procure-2-Pay and tactical procurement experience (Essential) across the following direct commodities pillars
• Mechanical Systems
• Electronics & Electrical
• Electromechanical Systems
• Cables & Harnessing
• Software & Digital Licensing (P2P support)

Soft Skills

• Good negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally in a fast‑paced, engineering‑driven environment.
• Highly organised, adaptable, and able to manage shifting priorities.
• Professional, motivated, and able to operate autonomously.

• Competitive equity: stock options with meaningful upside as we scale.
• 30+ paid days off, including 23 days of annual leave, all UK bank holidays, and additional company closure days (including Christmas–New Year shutdown).
• Private healthcare, including virtual and in-person care.
• Pension scheme with 8% total contribution (5% employee, 3% employer) on full earnings.
• Free daily breakfast, catered lunch, and snacks in-office.
• Work at the frontier - collaborate daily with world-class engineers, researchers, and product experts building the next generation of AI and humanoid robotics.
• Real ownership - direct access to founding leadership, meaningful input on product direction, and the ability to drive key initiatives from day one.