Senior Procurement Manager (Sustainability) in Cheshire

An established UK engineering manufacturer is looking for an experienced Purchasing Manager to take responsibility for developing and expanding its international supply chain, with a particular focus on China and the wider Asian market. This is a newly created, senior position within the business and an exciting opportunity for someone with a mechanical engineering or technical background who understands machined components, supplier development and global procurement.

The successful candidate will have significant responsibility for supplier selection, commercial negotiation, cost reduction, quality and supply chain resilience. The Purchasing Manager will develop the company's international sourcing strategy while working closely with senior purchasing leadership teams. This is an office based position, with occasional international travel to meet suppliers and vendors.

The Role of the Purchasing Manager

The Purchasing Manager will be reporting directly to the Global Purchasing Director. The Purchasing Manager will take ownership of developing an international supplier base, focusing on China and the wider Asian market. The business purchases significant volumes of precision machined components and engineered parts, so supplier capability, manufacturing quality and commercial pricing is critical. The Purchasing Manager will work closely with Supplier & Quality Engineering resources based across Asia to identify and develop high quality manufacturing partners who can support the company’s international growth. The Purchasing Manager will have accountability across cost, delivery, quality and service and the authority to make decisions around supply, pricing and supplier selection.

This role is ideal for someone with a good technical understanding of engineering and machining with the commercial ability to develop an international supplier network. It would be a bonus for the Purchasing Manager to have sourcing experience within China, Asia or India. The Purchasing Manager will have the opportunity to take ownership of the international sourcing strategy and develop the function as the business continues to grow.

Key Responsibilities of the Purchasing Manager

• Develop and implement purchasing and sourcing strategies across China and wider Asian markets
• Identify and appoint high performing machine shops and manufacturing partners
• Source precision machined components, engineered parts, forgings, castings and raw materials
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, contracts and supplier terms
• Ensure suppliers achieve required quality, specification and delivery standards
• Develop and maintain long term relationships with key international suppliers
• Work closely with Supplier & Quality Engineers based within Asia
• Monitor supplier performance and implement improvements where required
• Identify and mitigate supplier, commodity and wider supply chain risks
• Resolve supplier disputes and commercial issues
• Support inventory strategies to improve availability, cash flow and stock management
• Develop and potentially build a team as the international purchasing function continues to grow

Requirements of the Purchasing Manager

• Mechanical Engineering or Technical background
• At least 7 years’ experience within purchasing, procurement, supply chain or commodity management
• Previous experience working with machine shops, precision engineering or machined components
• Experience purchasing precision machined or complex engineered components
• Understanding of machining processes and how engineered components are manufactured
• Excellent commercial and supplier negotiation skills
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle
• Commercial awareness and the ability to identify opportunities to improve profitability through effective procurement

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineering procurement professional to take ownership of an international strategy and to be involved in the growth of an established UK manufacturing business.