Purchasing Manager
Recruiter: Jonathan Lee Recruitment
Location: Staffordshire
Salary: Strong salary, bonus + other benefits
Application date: 6th Apr 2022
We are working with this British manufacturer of off highway equipment and vehicles; it is a household name in the UK and across many global regions. We are looking to recruit an exceptional Purchasing Manager.
You will be at the heart of the Procurement operations within one of the business units. Your goal is to make sure we source key components at the lowest possible acquisition cost; that means co-ordinating purchasing, buyer resources and the budget to get the right results – all while driving supplier performance and keeping quality standards high. The majority of product and goods sourced are fabricated parts and components.
You will manage a complex, wide-ranging supplier base with locations as far afield as Brazil, USA, India and China.
Your main tasks will include:
NPI
• Leading the Purchasing elements of project delivery to provide input into the NPI Gate Committee, ensuring the Purchasing elements are delivered to target.
• Ensure that the new product introduction process is being applied to all Gated and other applicable projects, including, where relevant, Global projects.
• Work in conjunction with Business Unit Engineering to influence and agree cost targets and delivery of the same through the NPI process
• Early Supplier Engagement – ensure that strategies and preferred partners are communicated effectively to Engineering Managers so that only appropriate suppliers and technologies are engaged early on new product projects.
Quality
• Agree targeted suppliers with the buyers, ensuring that these are established for all new suppliers and existing key suppliers in line with annual objectives.
• Ensure purchase activity in support of the weekly, monthly and Quarterly BU Service Reviews is complete on time to target, resolving BU issues as they arise and gaining Category teams buy-in as required.
• Ensure PPM targets are issued to suppliers as appropriate and apply the appropriate commercial leverage in support of achieving the same.
• Working closely with the SDE teams to ensure that the appropriate level of resource and focus is secured on behalf of the BU or Category to deliver commodity strategy aims.
Cost
• To be responsible for compiling and delivering the annual budgets, for your area of responsibility, in support of Business Unit and Group Profit
• In liaison with category management team, set appropriate negotiation strategies with key suppliers
• Set targets for buyers and provide support and leadership to ensure the targets are met and achieve the functional goals.
• Provide a monthly cost movement report that identifies opportunities and risks to the budget. Making decisions and recommendations to put in place any necessary recovery plans.
• Ensuring full engagement with the Engineering teams, and supplier base regarding design for cost both at NPI and current product.
• To ensure FOC Prototype agreements are in place with targeted suppliers and rebates are recovered.
• To focus on Cost Management and improved levels of transparency (Quotation Analysis Forms) to leverage costs.
Risk
• Set relevant objectives in relation to supplier performance reviews. Prioritise suppliers for performance improvement. Ensure resource is available to support your business unit.
• Act on alerts created from the continuous risk assessment process and to ensure Business continuity plans are in place with appropriate suppliers.
• Deploy the policy for Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Ensure that there is sufficient installed capacity within the supply base to accommodate the numbers contained within the 5-year plan.
• Managing escalations from the Materials Manager, Purchase Manager is responsible for root cause analysis, deploying resources and ensuring continuity of supply
• Resolving supply chain breakdown, including influencing appointed administrators for suppliers in financial difficulty, ensuring the best possible outcome for the business.
• Support the wide business team to resolve payment and commercial terms within the supply base. Where appropriate working around the processes in place to protect production.
People
• Conduct annual / bi-annual appraisals for all direct reports.
• Complete a skills matrix review on a quarterly basis for all direct reports, setting objectives for areas of improvement.
• To provide leadership and support with regards to the team’s member’s individual progression by ensuring Development plans are in place.
• To be responsible for recruiting and forming a team that can support both the ongoing commercial and operational management of the area of responsibility.
Management
• Working within the overall objectives, allocate resources and set priorities for the team to ensure the full delivery of the same.
• Utilise the Supplier Dashboard data and information to make recommendations in supplier selection and improvement and ensure it is completed and maintained.
• Working within the overall direction set by the category management team, develop and build Category Strategies that deliver results.
• Influencing the Engineering Management team to ensure the relevant Engineering resources are allocated in support of Purchasing Strategies.
• Lead / Support where required the monthly budget reviews with BU Management team.
• Ensure that Group Purchasing Policies are strictly adhered to.
About you:
We are looking for hard-working professionals who can source components globally – cultural sensitivity is essential, and a second language would be ideal. Experience in Manufacturing or Engineering would also be advantage, but as long as you have got the key commercial skills, we’ll consider your application.
You should be adept at budget planning, negotiations, cost breakdowns and quotation analysis. And it is also important that you have brought new products to market using gated processes. With this kind of experience, you will know that teamwork and good organisation are vital. You will use both to meet deadlines, collaborate and manage your priorities.