Purchasing Manager in Manchester

Senior Purchasing Manager – responsible for leading and managing all procurement and supply chain activities for a wide range of own‑brand manufactured parts and authorized principal brand distribution. This role oversees supplier relationships across Asia‑Pacific, Europe, and the UK, collaborating with Operations, R&D, Sales, and Finance to support strategic growth objectives. Reporting to the Group Purchasing Director, the role delivers regular performance metrics and the group’s strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the purchasing strategy aligned to the group’s commercial and operational goals.
• Identify and onboard new suppliers globally, focusing on European and Asia‑Pacific markets to support new product launches and range expansion.
• Lead sourcing activity for own‑brand manufactured components, including raw materials and finished goods.
• Manage procurement of authorized principal brand products from key distribution partners and OE suppliers.
• Support R&D and product development teams with sourcing for new product ranges across 33+ product categories.
• Report regularly on key procurement metrics: cost savings, supplier performance, spend under management, stock availability, and progress against strategic objectives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and manufacturers domestically and internationally.
• Conduct supplier reviews, negotiate pricing, terms, and rebate structures for best value.
• Manage supplier performance through KPIs – on‑time delivery, quality compliance, and lead times.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risk, implementing dual‑sourcing strategies where appropriate.
• Drive cost reduction initiatives and purchasing efficiencies without compromising product quality or supply security.
• Monitor market pricing trends for commercial vehicle components and raw materials and report intelligence to the Group Purchasing Director.
• Manage purchase pricing across the product portfolio to ensure margin integrity and competitiveness.
• Collaborate with Finance on budget management, forecasting, and cost of goods reporting.
• Work with warehouse, logistics and sales teams to optimise stock levels and inventory turnover across the UK distribution centre.
• Support demand planning processes to reduce stockouts and excess inventory.
• Coordinate procurement activities with group subsidiaries across Europe to leverage volume and network optimisation.
• Ensure compliance with import/export regulations and manage documentation for shipments from international suppliers.
• Lead, manage and develop the purchasing team, setting clear objectives and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Mentor buyers and support their professional development.
• Drive cross‑functional collaboration with Sales, Operations, R&D and Finance to ensure purchasing decisions support the business.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records within the company’s ERP/stock management systems.
• Ensure procurement activity complies with group policies, ethical sourcing standards and relevant legislation.
• Support sustainability and responsible sourcing initiatives in line with the group’s environmental and ethical commitments.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience (5+ years) in a purchasing or procurement management role, ideally within automotive, commercial vehicle, industrial components or manufacturing sectors.
• Demonstrated track record managing international supply chains, including sourcing from Asia (particularly China) and Europe.
• Strong negotiation skills, able to manage complex, multi‑line supplier contracts.
• Experience managing procurement of own‑brand manufactured products and distribution of principal/OEM branded lines.
• Commercially astute with solid understanding of cost modelling, landed costs and margin management.
• Proficiency with ERP/stock management systems and strong working knowledge of Excel.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to build relationships at all levels.
• Ability to work independently, managing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, growth‑oriented environment.

Desirable

• CIPS qualified (or working towards) or equivalent procurement qualification.
• Experience within commercial vehicle, heavy transport or automotive components aftermarket sector.
• Experience coordinating procurement across multiple entities in a group or multi‑site business.
• Familiarity with private label/white‑label product sourcing and development.
• Experience working in a listed company and understanding the associated reporting expectations.

What We Offer

• Key leadership role in Europe’s largest independent specialist manufacturer in its sector, with genuine scope to shape the function.
• Exciting period of growth and international expansion following a major strategic acquisition.
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Company pension scheme.
• Opportunity to work across a multinational group with sites across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
• Collaborative, experienced team environment.