Strategic Buyer

The role

Reporting directly to the Purchasing Manager, the successful candidate will manage and assess the current material spend within the group, including the development of key commodity plans and processes in line with the supply chain strategy. They will also be responsible for identifying suitable suppliers to meet the needs of both of the company’s current and future requirements, as well as developing a sourcing strategy, considering demand and supply situations, while minimizing risk and costs in line with manufacturing strategies.

Duties will include

• Negotiating with suppliers to ensure products, service levels, prices, geographical coverage and payment terms are controlled.
• Ensuring key performance metrics are developed and maintained within a continuous improvement methodology.
• Sourcing, negotiating, implementing and administering long term supply agreements for assigned commodity areas.
• Participating in cross-functional teams, researching best commodity practices, achieving cost reduction initiatives and executing sourcing strategies.
• Responsibility for all procurement and supply chain activities within specified commodity areas.
• Managing and developing suppliers in line with the group/location metric requirements.
• Supporting inventory management and control activities.
• Cost management and reduction initiatives to develop a savings plan in line with group expectations.
• Becoming a commodity leader for individual item commodity groups, including the development and execution of strategic commodity plans to support these areas.
• Developing and driving purchasing activities and sourcing strategies within the location’s new product introduction process.
• Preparing quotations and cost analysis activities.
• Maintaining all supply chain functions within the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. (Price, lead-time, minimum order quantities, multiples).
• Purchasing support for engineering and bill of material changes.
• Liaising with stakeholder functions (quality assurance, production, engineering to ensure supplier delivery and performance levels are maintained.
• Target setting and supplier commercial reviews.
• Preparing and distributing requests for quotations and recommendations to the business.

The person

Applicants will have worked within a small to medium volume manufacturing environment with projects experience, have excellent communication and negotiating skills, be CIPS qualified (or be prepared to work towards) and have an understanding of quality standards.
They will demonstrate a positive, innovative and motivated approach to their work, combined with an ability to work under pressure. The successful candidate will also be metric driven and have a pro-active approach to their work.