Overall Purpose of the Role: Purchase goods, materials and services to ensure that the company operational needs are met, taking into account price, quality and delivery and to ensure continuity of supply.
Key Responsibilities:
General and Task Management
- Purchase goods, materials, components or services in line with specified cost, quality and delivery targets
- Support the purchasing function and other relevant departments and communicate any supply problems which may impact on business operations ·
- Act as an interface between suppliers and other relevant departments on purchasing processes and new projects and activities
- Monitor and advise on any issues which present risk or opportunity to the organisation
- Monitor market trends, competitor strategies and market suppliers
- Provide analysis on costs, new and existing and review cost reduction activities
- Prepare reports and updates as and when required
- Work closely with others in the procurement function and review opportunities for continuous improvement and business improvements
- Negotiate contracts, improve prices and terms of business with suppliers and review opportunities to make business savings utilising negotiation and procurement best practice tools and methods
- Prepare and raise purchase orders and order schedules
- Build, maintain and manage supplier relationships and keep up good communications
- Ensure that a professional and consistent approach is taken in relation to all supplier relationships
- Ensure compliance to company guidelines, purchasing policies and procedures during supplier negotiations and contracts award process
- Conduct research for new components and suppliers
- Contact suppliers to resolve price, quality, delivery or invoice issues
Skills and Attributes:
- Able to build and maintain effective and productive relationships with staff, stakeholders and suppliers
- Good communication, negotiation, interpersonal and influencing skills
- Analytical, numerically astute with strong demonstrated problem solving abilities
- Able to manage time effectively, prioritise tasks and achieve set targets ·
- Commercial and financial awareness with a full understanding of how failure impacts the production, manufacture and customer order fulfilment
- Able to work well under pressure and handle emergency and stressful situations
- Keen attention to detail and accuracy
- Familiarity with an integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system would be beneficial
Qualifications and Experience Levels:
- Relevant business/commercial or manufacturing/engineering certificates or diploma
- Previous experience of working in a purchasing team in manufacturing environment
- Good knowledge of purchasing, negotiation, commercial understanding and cost breakdown
- Experience of working closely with suppliers
- Able to add value, reduce costs and input to business improvements
- An understanding of automotive processes and components would be advantageous
- Computer literate, with advanced Excel skills/abilities
