Purchasing Team Leader in Leatherhead

Established in 1982, Bytes has grown rapidly and now employs over 800+ people across 6 locations in the UK and Ireland. Our turnover in Financial Year 2024 was in excess of £2bn. We work with SMEs, corporates and public sector organisations to modernise and digitally transform their IT infrastructures. We invest in our employees through ongoing support, training and advice to help them achieve their career aspirations, rewarding success both financially and personally. There is opportunity to grow and move internally which can be seen through our long-standing employees who have developed existing and new skills to move into senior positions in the organisation leaving space for new team members to begin their journey.

Over 800 staff (plans to double in size over the next 5 years) Operating from modern, hybrid working environments with offices in Leatherhead, Reading, London, Manchester, Port Solent and Dublin. Winners of an array of industry awards Sunday Times Top 100 Best Places to Work Excellent training and career prospects offered Fantastic office with gym, canteen, open plan, smart casual dress code, regular incentives and company events Supporters of 85+ charities with strong commitment to diversity and sustainability.

PURPOSE OF JOB: The Purchasing Team Leader will oversee the day-to-day activities of the purchasing team, procuring software licences, cloud/SaaS subscriptions, IT hardware, peripherals, and related services. This role requires a highly organised leader with strong supplier management abilities, excellent communication skills, and hands-on experience working with Oracle NetSuite or similar ERP procurement modules. The successful candidate will play a key part in optimising purchasing processes, management of ETA reporting, Item management, and maintaining excellent supplier relationships. Working closely with Sales Support, Finance, Accounts Payable/Receivable, and Credit Control, the Purchasing Team Leader will ensure orders are processed efficiently, suppliers are managed effectively and purchasing operations support both commercial and operational objectives in a fast-paced IT environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead, coach, and develop the purchasing team to achieve departmental KPIs and business objectives.
• Conduct regular 1:1s and training to support staff development.
• Allocate workloads, set priorities, and ensure smooth day-to-day operations.
• Foster a high-performance culture with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Oversee the full purchasing cycle including, purchase orders, approvals, delivery tracking, and fulfilment.
• Ensure accurate pricing, lead time, and licensing compliance.
• Support Sales Support with quoting accuracy and order fulfilment.
• Liaise with Finance teams to resolve AP discrepancies, credit notes, and invoicing issues.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procurement standards, and audit requirements.
• Monitor stock levels and work closely with Sales Support, Operations, and Finance to ensure timely reporting.
• Resolve escalated supplier or purchasing issues quickly and professionally.
• Manage the Product Catalogue ensuring Taxonomy is completed accurately to meet business reporting.
• Manage Supplier and Vendor Onboarding alongside the Vendors Ops and Supply Chain Teams.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure reliability of fulfilment.
• Analyse supplier performance and address capacity, quality, or delivery issues.
• Use Oracle NetSuite to manage procurement workflows, approvals, supplier records, and reporting.
• Train team members on best-practice usage of NetSuite procurement modules and aid in the creation of purchasing reports to support decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to streamline purchasing processes and reduce cost.
• Support internal projects relating to automation, digitalisation, and ERP improvements.
• Drive initiatives that enhance supplier performance and improve departmental efficiency.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS:

• Educational Qualifications: GCSE (A-C) or equivalent in English & Mathematics
• ESSENTIAL Experience
• Proven leadership or team management experience within purchasing or supply chain.
• Knowledge of procurement best practices and relevant compliance requirements.
• Strong working knowledge of Oracle NetSuite (procurement, inventory or purchasing modules).
• Experience working in distribution, retail, or a fast-paced operational environment.
• Experience with continuous improvement or process optimisation projects.
• DESIRABLE Other Requirements
• Excellent communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and produce meaningful reports.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing workloads.