At a Glance
- Tasks: Source new products and suppliers to expand our gifting range while driving cost savings.
- Company: Join a dynamic team in a fast-paced retail environment focused on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: This is a fixed-term contract role until April 2027 with exciting career prospects.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by leading negotiations and building strategic supplier relationships.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in procurement or buying, strong negotiation skills, and a collaborative mindset.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Responsibilities
- Source new SKUs and suppliers to rapidly scale our non-horticultural gifting range.
- Drive our margin ambitions by leading negotiations to deliver significant, measurable cost savings without sacrificing quality.
- Develop key supplier relationships, setting the tone for long-term strategic partnerships and managing their holistic performance.
- Act as the key commercial partner to our Range team, helping them select the best products by providing market assessments and supplier benchmarks.
- Negotiate, implement, and manage comprehensive commercial and operational contracts.
- Manage supplier and SKU onboarding, ensuring all new partners and products are commercially vetted, and operationally ready for our supply chain.
- Own the responsibility of updating and engaging internal partners, ensuring a “no-surprises” approach to range expansion.
Requirements
- Have 3+ years experience in a procurement or buying role in FMCG or retail.
- Strong Negotiator and Relationship Builder: You excel at developing supplier partnerships and have the commercial acumen to lead negotiations that deliver significant margin improvements and cost savings, ensuring we always achieve the best value without sacrificing quality.
- Work with Agility: You understand the broader business context and can identify problems with requirements up-front to keep the project moving at pace.
- Don't Need a Map: You learn quickly and make steady progress without the need for constant, significant feedback from your manager.
- Are an Outcome-Driven Specialist: You are capable of prioritizing and avoiding getting caught up in unimportant details; you focus on the highest-impact wins.
- Enjoy High-Pace Execution: You thrive in a "sprint" environment, where you get things done from start to finish and can be relied upon to manage your time effectively during peak periods.
- Are a Detail-Oriented Onboarder: You have a high bar for quality and a great deal of care, ensuring that every new SKU is operationally ready before it hits our warehouse.
- Are a Self-Sufficient Problem Solver: You rarely make the same mistake twice and can identify potential problems with requirements up-front to keep the project moving.
- Are a Natural Collaborator: You know how to bridge the gap between creative vision and operational reality, identifying and engaging the right stakeholders from day one.
Please note this is an FTC role with end date April 2027.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Procurement Manager – Non-horticultural in London
✨Get Involved in Local Procurement Meetups
Join local procurement and purchasing groups on platforms like Meetup or Eventbrite. These gatherings are great for networking with industry professionals, sharing insights, and potentially hearing about temporary roles that might not be widely advertised!
✨Seasonal Hiring Cycles are Your Friend!
Keep an eye on seasonal trends in procurement, as many companies ramp up hiring during certain times of the year – especially around end-of-financial-year periods when budgets are being utilised. Be proactive and reach out to companies directly during these windows.
✨Leverage Online Platforms for Temporary Roles
Don’t forget to browse specific job boards dedicated to temporary positions, such as Reed or Indeed. You can filter your search for procurement roles and set up alerts for when new jobs pop up, so you can apply immediately!
✨Showcase Your Skills on Professional Networks
Create short case studies or posts on LinkedIn showcasing your procurement experience or interesting projects you've tackled. This not only builds your visibility but can also attract recruiters looking for temporary talent like you!
We think you need these skills to ace Procurement Manager – Non-horticultural in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Relevant Experience:When applying for a temporary role in procurement-purchasing, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Mention specific tasks like negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships, or optimising inventory. This will show Jobtailor that you can hit the ground running!
Keep it Concise and Impactful:For a temporary role, we recommend keeping your CV and cover letter concise. Focus on key achievements that showcase your procurement skills and any immediate impact you’ve made in past roles. Use bullet points for clarity—this way, Jobtailor can quickly grasp your capabilities!
Include Relevant Certifications:If you’ve got any certifications that are relevant to procurement, like CIPS (Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply), don’t forget to mention them! This adds extra weight to your application and shows Jobtailor that you're serious about your professional development.
Emphasise Flexibility and Availability:Since this is a temporary position, make sure to emphasise your availability and flexibility in your cover letter. Let Jobtailor know when you can start and that you’re ready to adapt to their needs, making your application even more appealing!
How to prepare for a job interview at Jobtailor
✨Know Your Procurement Basics
Brush up on key procurement concepts and terms, like 'total cost of ownership' and 'supplier relationships'. We want to impress them with our knowledge! Being able to talk fluently about relevant techniques and tools specific to the procurement field will definitely lend credibility.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
In a purchasing role, you might get thrown some real-world scenarios to assess how you’d handle supplier negotiations or cost-saving strategies. Be ready to demonstrate your problem-solving skills! Practising how you'd tackle these situations in advance will help us shine during the interview.
✨Highlight Your Flexibility and Adaptability
Since it’s a temporary role, emphasise how you can quickly adapt to new processes and environments. Share examples of past experiences where you’ve tackled new challenges with ease, showing they can rely on us to hit the ground running and contribute immediately!
✨Show Off Your Tech Savvy
Being well-versed in procurement software like SAP or Coupa can set us apart from other candidates. If you've got experience with these tools, be sure to mention it! Having a handle on data analysis and reporting will also demonstrate our capability to leverage technology effectively in procurement.
