Open roleExternal
Manufacturing Buyer
- wallingford, england, United Kingdom
- Contract·On-site
- £40 - £60 Per Hour
Job Description
Join a forward-thinking organisation based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire where procurement plays a critical role in delivering reliable products and services to customers. You'll be part of a team that values clear communication, continuous improvement, and practical problem-solving. This is a great opportunity for a Manufacturing Buyer who enjoys building strong supplier relationships, driving cost and quality outcomes, and contributing to long-term supply assurance.
Job Responsibilities
- Manage the end-to-end purchasing process for assigned commodities, ensuring timely and cost-effective procurement.
- Develop and maintain supplier relationships to support service levels, quality requirements, and delivery performance.
- Source, evaluate, and onboard suppliers in line with business needs, including conducting supplier comparisons and negotiations.
- Negotiate pricing, terms, and commercial agreements to achieve agreed cost and value targets.
- Monitor supplier performance using agreed KPIs and take corrective action where required.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders (e.g., engineering, operations, quality, finance) to understand requirements and resolve supply issues.
- Support risk management activities, including identifying supply risks and proposing mitigation plans.
- Maintain accurate procurement records, purchase documentation, and reporting to support audit readiness.
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within procurement, including process and spend optimisation.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- Proven experience in purchasing or procurement, ideally with commodity ownership responsibilities.
- Strong negotiation skills with the ability to influence suppliers and internal stakeholders.
- Commercial awareness and a solid understanding of total cost of ownership (TCO) and value-based purchasing.
- Excellent communication skills, with the confidence to manage conversations at both operational and strategic levels.
- Analytical capability to review supplier data, identify trends, and support decision-making.
- Working knowledge of procurement processes, including RFQs, supplier evaluation, and contract/commercial management.
- Competent in using procurement and ERP systems, with the ability to manage purchase documentation accurately.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritise workload in a fast-moving environment.
- Relevant procurement qualification such as CIPS (or working towards) is desirable.
- Experience with supplier performance management and corrective action processes.