At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead procurement strategy for ingredients and packaging in a dynamic food manufacturing environment.
- Company: Established food manufacturer with a focus on innovation and quality.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a chance to influence key business decisions.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team and drive strategic initiatives in a fast-paced market.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on procurement strategies and supplier relationships in the food industry.
- Qualifications: Experience in procurement leadership within food manufacturing and strong negotiation skills.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
We are partnering with an established and growing food manufacturer to appoint a Head of Procurement. Reporting to the Executive Leadership Team, this individual will lead the procurement function and develop a commercially focused strategy across direct ingredients, packaging and indirect spend. The role has particular responsibility for several business-critical categories, including:
- Ingredients including Butter, Dairy, Sugar, Eggs, Flour, etc
- Food-contact packaging
- Indirect goods and services
THE OPPORTUNITY Operating across volatile ingredient and packaging markets, you will balance cost, availability, quality, specification and customer requirements while protecting manufacturing continuity. You will:
- Own and deliver the procurement strategy across ingredients, packaging and indirects
- Develop category strategies using commodity intelligence, cost-driver analysis and supply-risk assessment
- Lead major tenders, negotiations, contracting and supplier-selection activity
- Establish appropriate commodity buying and risk-management approaches
- Build a prioritised pipeline of savings, cost avoidance, specification optimisation and working-capital initiatives
- Strengthen supplier performance through segmentation, scorecards, business reviews and improvement plans
- Identify and mitigate risks relating to availability, capacity, quality, food safety, logistics, financial stability and ESG
- Partner with Technical and NPD to support supplier assurance, specification development and commercially viable innovation
- Work with Operations, Planning and Supply Chain to improve availability, inventory, MOQ performance and waste
- Provide clear reporting on commodity outlook, purchase-price performance, savings, risks and contract coverage
- Lead, coach and develop the procurement team
- Act as the senior procurement voice within the business and influence decisions at executive level
ABOUT YOU You will be a hands-on procurement leader who can operate strategically while remaining close to suppliers, factories and operational realities. We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Procurement leadership experience within food manufacturing, bakery, chilled food, FMCG or another complex, high-volume manufacturing environment
- Strong direct-materials experience across food ingredients and/or food-contact packaging
- Knowledge of categories such as butter, dairy, sugar, eggs, flour, cartons, board, film, labels or trays
- A successful record in strategic sourcing, high-value negotiation, contracting and supplier relationship management
- A strong understanding of commodity markets, cost models, indices, inflation and commercial risk
Head of Procurement employer: Blakeney Point Search & Selection
Join a leading food manufacturer in Cornwall that prioritises employee growth and development within a dynamic work culture. As a Technical Manager, you'll not only influence site strategy and ensure the highest standards of food safety and quality but also benefit from a supportive environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. With strong customer relationships and a commitment to continuous improvement, this role offers a meaningful opportunity to make a real impact in the food manufacturing sector.
Contact Details:
Blakeney Point Search & Selection Recruitment Team
