Purchasing Manager in London

Company Description: Raffles London at The OWO on London’s Whitehall unites the allure and heritage of Raffles with one of the world’s most historic addresses, synonymous with luxury, glamour, and extraordinary adventure. This fine Grade II* listed Edwardian building has been transformed with 120 rooms and suites along with a collection of 85 exceptional branded residences. Within The OWO destination, there are a total of nine restaurants and three bars, including one by our signature chef Mauro Colagreco. The Guerlain spa and Pillar Wellness offer the latest in wellbeing, and a 600 seated-capacity grand ballroom, The Whitehall, is perfect for all kinds of special occasions and events.

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing all procurement and supply chain activities across the organisation. This role ensures the timely sourcing, negotiation, and acquisition of goods and services while optimising cost, quality, and efficiency. The Purchasing Manager develops procurement strategies, manages supplier relationships, enforces compliance with policies, and supports operational and strategic objectives. This position plays a key role in controlling costs, mitigating supply risks, and ensuring uninterrupted operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement procurement policies, procedures, and strategies aligned with the organisation’s goals.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, supplier consolidation, and process improvement.
• Forecast procurement needs in collaboration with department heads to ensure timely and efficient sourcing.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, vendors, and contractors.
• Own and manage the hotel’s purchasing systems and approval workflows, ensuring purchase orders, supplier set-up, pricing, contract terms and approval limits are maintained accurately and in line with company policy.
• Work closely with Receiving, Cost Control, Accounts Payable and department heads to resolve delivery discrepancies, pricing variances, missing purchase orders and supplier invoice queries in a timely manner.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and terms to achieve optimal value and service.
• Evaluate supplier performance, conduct audits, and manage vendor scorecards.
• Source new suppliers and products to enhance quality, efficiency, and sustainability.
• Ensure all new suppliers are properly onboarded, including completion of required due diligence, insurance, bank details, payment terms, contract documentation and compliance checks before trading commences.
• Support the hotel’s sustainability, responsible sourcing and ESG objectives by identifying local, ethical and environmentally responsible suppliers where commercially viable.
• Lead, mentor, and supervise the purchasing and procurement team.
• Develop staff capabilities through training, coaching, and performance management.
• Ensure food, beverage and operating supplies are sourced in accordance with agreed product specifications, allergen, hygiene, traceability and food safety requirements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor procurement budgets, track expenditures, and implement cost-control initiatives.
• Analyse purchasing data and reports to identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities for savings.
• Collaborate with Finance and Operations teams to optimise spending and maintain financial compliance.
• Oversee inventory control, stock levels, and reorder points to prevent shortages or overstock.
• Work closely with Housekeeping, F&B, Engineering, and other departments to manage supply needs.
• Support capital expenditure, OS&E and FF&E purchasing projects, including tendering, supplier comparison, lead-time management, delivery coordination and budget tracking.
• Implement efficient logistics, delivery schedules, and inventory management processes.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with internal policies, contracts, and regulatory requirements.
• Mitigate risks related to supplier reliability, quality, and delivery.
• Maintain proper documentation, contracts, and records for auditing and reporting purposes.
• Participate in cross-departmental projects, product selection, and vendor evaluation processes.
• Provide insights and recommendations to optimise procurement strategies and operational performance.
• Prepare reports on procurement activities, supplier performance, cost savings, and operational efficiency.
• Present findings and recommendations to executive management.
• Track KPIs and continuously assess procurement effectiveness and impact on organisational goals.
• Additional responsibilities in absence of line manager or senior employee.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned including working in a different department or restaurant than usually assigned.

Qualifications

• A proven track record and ability to provide high levels of service under pressure.
• Experience using hotel procurement and inventory systems such as Adaco, BirchStreet, Fourth, Check SCM or similar.
• Exceptional communication and customer service skills, both written and spoken.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to multi-task while maintaining an immaculate and professional appearance.
• An understanding and willingness to contribute to a 24h operational schedule when required.

Additional Information

Why join our Raffles team? Not only will you be joining one of the world's best hotels, but you will also receive great benefits including:

• 28 days holiday including bank holidays plus a day extra for every year of your service up to 5 years.
• Staff meals whilst on duty.
• Free dry cleaning for uniform.
• Employer pension contribution.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Life Assurance 1x salary.
• Employee assistance program, including virtual GP and financial advice.
• Season ticket loans and cycle to work scheme.
• Colleague gifting to celebrate special occasions.
• Paid days off to move house or give back time to a charity of your choice.
• Internal learning and development programmes tailored to you.
• Fun-filled events, whether that’s a pub quiz, team run or festive party.
• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates of up to 30% at Accor worldwide and Raffles London F&B outlets.
• Worldwide development opportunities across Accor’s extensive brand portfolio.