Buyer – South East UK
Position Type
Full Time
Location
United Kingdom
Salary
£35,000
Sector
OEM
Working Model
Office Based
We’re looking for a Buyer to join an established Purchasing team within a growing, technology-led manufacturing business, supporting the supply of materials and components used in specialist products operating in demanding environments worldwide.
Working closely with Senior Buyers, Production, Planning, Engineering and the wider supply chain team, you’ll take responsibility for day-to-day purchasing activities while helping ensure the business has the right materials, at the right time, at the right cost.
This is much more than simply raising purchase orders. You’ll develop supplier relationships, negotiate pricing and commercial terms, manage material availability and inventory, maintain accurate ERP data and contribute to improvements across the supply chain.
It’s an excellent opportunity for someone with purchasing or procurement experience who wants to develop further within a technical manufacturing environment, gain greater commercial exposure and play a direct role in improving supplier performance, inventory and cost.
Key Responsibilities
- Raise and manage purchase orders and company-wide requisitions through the ERP system (SYSPRO), supporting the end-to-end manufacturing process.
- Ensure supplier order acknowledgements are received, reviewed for accuracy and aligned with required delivery dates.
- Maintain accurate procurement data within the ERP system, including lead times, MOQ/MPQ requirements and open purchase orders.
- Build and maintain strong supplier relationships across both direct and indirect procurement, ensuring consistent performance, quality and on-time delivery.
- Monitor supplier performance, identify potential supply chain risks and take proactive action to minimise disruption.
- Negotiate pricing, commercial terms and service levels to achieve competitive costs and deliver year-on-year savings without compromising quality.
- Support the development and implementation of purchasing strategies across raw materials and indirect procurement.
- Conduct regular inventory reviews to maintain material availability for production while minimising excess and obsolete stock.
- Work closely with Production, Planning, Warehouse, Engineering and other internal teams to ensure purchasing activity supports operational requirements.
- Participate in daily SQDIP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory & Productivity) reviews, contributing to continuous improvement and operational performance.
- Support the development and monitoring of internal procurement KPIs and supplier performance measures.
- Monitor Good, Bad, Dead and Shortage inventory, identifying opportunities to improve stockholding, availability and overall inventory performance.
- Use procurement data and performance metrics to support accurate reporting, informed decision-making and continuous improvement across the supply chain.
Requirements
- A professional qualification in Procurement & Supply, or a minimum of 2 years’ purchasing/procurement experience across direct and/or indirect categories.
- Previous purchasing experience within a manufacturing environment would be highly advantageous.
- Experience working with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure materials are available at the right time, cost and quality.
- Strong negotiation and commercial skills, with experience working towards operational and cost-saving targets.
- Experience using MRP/ERP systems within a purchasing or supply chain environment; knowledge of SYSPRO would be advantageous.
- Experience working alongside product development or engineering teams to support component selection and supply-risk mitigation.
- The ability to build and maintain productive relationships with suppliers and key internal stakeholders.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with excellent attention to detail and a continuous-improvement mindset.
- Confidence analysing information and making informed purchasing and inventory decisions.
- The ability to prioritise effectively, adapt to changing requirements and deliver against deadlines.
- A proactive, resilient and self-motivated approach, with the ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and a collaborative approach to working as part of a wider team.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, with strong Excel skills.
- The ability to read and understand basic 2D technical drawings would be advantageous.
- An understanding of mechanical components or manufacturing processes would also be beneficial.
Apply to this job
If you are a highly organized and motivated individual with the experience and qualifications outlined above, we invite you to apply simply by completing the details below and attaching an up-to-date copy of your CV/Resume.
Want to speak to us?
If you would like to find out more about the Buyer - South East UK position, please feel free to get in touch.
