Purchasing Planner

My client, a rapidly growing SME business based near Birmingham, require an experienced purchasing professional to oversee all supply chain and procurement activities, in terms of ensuring goods availability to meet customer and production requirements. The role will require the successful candidate to manage relationships with all existing suppliers, while identifying new suppliers to help improve overall efficiency and profitability. The role will also involve ensuring constant process improvement in all related business activities

ROLE DESCRIPTION

• Supplier management. Negotiating the most advantageous commercial terms including maximising rebate agreements and early payment discounts to achieve product cost savings targets
• Raising and placing purchase orders and ensuring that the production plan is closely aligned to supplier changes and customer demand
• Category pricing reviews and producing tenders when required
• Supplier performance analysis ensuring full conformance 
• Purchasing - identifying best routes of source, yielding significant savings
• Competitively source new products and one off 'special' products
• Working with product design and Research & Development on product rationalisation
• Shipping cost management
• Management reporting is a vital part of this role, with regular reporting on supplier savings, supplier performance, impact on service levels 
• Supplier meetings recorded and shared weekly
• Representing the company to suppliers, customers and others in a professional and courteous manner

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 3 years direct procurement experience within a purchasing team, ideally gained in a fast moving, customer focused business
• Good demonstrated knowledge of purchasing, negotiation, commercial understanding and cost breakdown/achieved savings
• Supply Planning experience, particularly around changes to supplier processes and timings. MRP and ERP systems experience, ideally SAP
• Ability to build relationships with staff, stakeholders and suppliers
• Assertive, resilient and welcomes change
• Proactive approach to cost saving and efficiency opportunities
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate effectively with all suppliers
• Analytical with strong problem solving abilities
• Team player with good communication skills
• Ability to manage work schedules and work on own initiative 

The role is based at our client's site near Birmingham and is Monday to Friday (8:00am to 5:00pm), hybrid arrangements available with minimum 3 days in the office