Purchasing Manager in Northampton

Location: Oxford

Contract duration: 5 months

Hays are delighted to be working with our global client, one of the world’s most successful premium manufacturers of cars, motorcycles, and provider of premium services. Our client demonstrates a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and product responsibility all the way from development to production. Their aim is to play a dynamic and innovative role in shaping the face of mobility. Our client highly values each and every person; their passion, commitment, uniqueness and contribution to shaping the future success of their business.

About the job:

• Job holder shall perform Indirect purchasing tasks within area of responsibility, including coordinating, planning, sourcing, negotiating and supplier steering based on business requirements seeking for best quality, innovation, flexibility, and total acquisition cost.
• Job holder will lead their own commodity responsibilities and take on projects from inception to delivery across all commodities. Coordinating relevant stakeholders on a local and regional level in respect of purchasing guidelines.
• Responsible for supplier nomination, acting on behalf of Purchasing and presenting at prescribed decision circles including support and nomination recommendations for local and Group suppliers to ensure that suppliers nominated are of the highest standard and comply with all group process, procedures, policies and guidelines.
• Fully responsible for complete tender process within assigned Commodity. This includes identifying and analysing business requirements, preparing tenders and issuing them.
• Check and verify supplier offers for plausibility in commercial areas and for technical content with the support of planners, engineers and users to ensure that negotiations are undertaken to the operational and economic benefit of the company and that all business requirements are met.
• Assume responsibility for the overall portfolio of suppliers within area of activity, including improvement measures, supplier circles, supplier failure recovery/actions and managing any political or economic consequences to ensure that suppliers are managed and coordinated to the operational and economic benefit of the company.
• Build and maintain relationships with supplier representatives, while continually improving and monitoring supplier performance. This will include site visits as required.
• The job holder acts closely with the central Buyer at HQ in all strategic aspects i.e. Commodity supply chain strategy (CSCS).
• Handle quotations, including developing requirements with engineers, users and planners, the input of technical concept competitions and confirming methods/targets for supplier performance to ensure that quotations/orders are accurate, to specification and meet all business requirements, in line with group policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Setting up and maintaining long-term frame contracts in all relevant ordering systems.
• Responsible for reviewing PRs and checking compliance with Group Guidelines before converting to purchase orders.
• Responsible for authorisation and issuing frame contracts and purchase orders; managing the purchasing process from supplier to end-user.
• Regularly checking and maintaining the appropriate usage of Frame Contracts and Small Value Orders and taking actions accordingly.
• Promotes the purchasing cycle by working with all aspects of the business including developing and delivering training to business, developing training material if needed.
• Ensuring all departmental templates and documentation are up to date and referenced when necessary.
• Run credit report for all new suppliers and manage ongoing financial risk with existing vendors.
• Take a leadership role in the development and maintenance of all departmental reports including all departmental KPI reports and preparation of any adhoc reports required by business or for the purpose of analysis and Purchasing due-diligence.
• Responsible for all routine administration, including completing all relevant documentation, maintaining mailboxes and maintenance of the purchasing systems including directing all purchasing related queries from the business to the relevant department.
• Managing contracts, purchasing records, filing systems and databases.
• Manage contracts for external goods and services for the operational and economic benefit of the business, in line with group guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Perform cost management to ensure the effective and efficient management of costs to the operational and economic benefit of the company.
• Coordinate risk analysis, including management of supplier bankruptcies and receiverships etc. to ensure that risks are reduced as far as possible without having a negative impact on the company’s ability to achieve its performance targets.
• Provide training/coaching within area of expertise to ensure that Associates within the business unit can meet all business requirements.
• Foster excellent collaboration with the regional purchasing network thanks to regular and relevant communication, best practice sharing as well as central purchasing departments.

Skillsets:

• Should have at least 5 years of Project management and Supplier management experience
• Effective organisational and time management skills
• Analytical and data driven mind-set
• Objective and proactive decision-making ability
• Excellent in strategic thinking and creative problem solving
• Good interpersonal and communication skills at all levels of management
• Ability to anticipate risk and implement contract measures
• Strong negotiating skills

What will you bring to the global premium automotive brand:

• Confidence handling highly sensitive information with discretion
• Strong judgement and organisation in a high volume, demanding environment
• The ability to adapt quickly and manage competing priorities
• Educated to GCSE/A-Level equivalent
• Strong interpersonal skills at all management levels
• Effective organizational and time management skills
• Proactive and able to react quickly
• Able to work autonomously and use own initiative

Key aspects of policy include:

• Promoting equal opportunities in recruitment and personnel development
• Ensuring protection against discrimination and fostering respect in everyday business
• Encouraging a diverse workforce to enhance competitiveness, effectiveness and innovation
• Supporting five dimensions of diversity: gender, age and experience, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientation and identity and cultural background