Buyer

A leading global manufacturer operating within a complex product and distribution environment is seeking a Buyer/Planner to join their operations team. This is a broad, hands-on role combining procurement, materials planning, inventory control and supplier management to ensure materials are available to support production and customer demand.

You will play a key role in coordinating supply chain activity across internal teams and external suppliers, ensuring material availability while balancing cost, stock levels and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities
- Plan, schedule and manage the supply of materials, components and services to support production and customer demand.
- Use planning methodologies such as MRP, JIT, Kanban, blanket orders and rescheduling to optimise supply flow.
- Ensure raw materials and production supplies are ordered accurately and delivered on time to support operational schedules.
- Monitor and manage inventory levels and safety stock, balancing service levels with working capital optimisation.
- Maintain and update material, supplier and planning data within ERP / MRP systems.
- Investigate and resolve material shortages and supply disruptions, implementing corrective actions where required.
- Work cross-functionally with engineering, production, operations and sales teams to ensure alignment with demand and installation schedules.
- Analyse supply chain and supplier performance data using Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs and reporting tools).
- Manage supplier relationships to resolve issues relating to availability, capacity, quality and cost.
- Support logistics, shipping and import processes, ensuring materials are delivered efficiently and in line with project timelines.
- Communicate with technical and design teams to ensure accurate product specifications and procurement data.
- Participate in supplier negotiations, identifying opportunities for cost savings and commercial improvements.
- Monitor supplier delivery performance and produce regular KPI reporting.
- Contribute to supply chain improvement initiatives and support new product or project introductions.

Candidate Profile
- Experience within a supply chain, materials planning, buying or procurement role.
- Experience working with MRP / ERP systems.
- Strong understanding of inventory management and supply chain coordination.
- Comfortable working in a cross-functional operational environment.
- Strong communication skills and ability to build effective supplier relationships.
- Confident using Excel for data analysis (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs and reporting).
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience sourcing internationally (e.g. Far East suppliers) would be advantageous.
- Exposure to logistics, shipping or import processes would be beneficial but not essential.