Job Description
Lhoist is a global leader in lime, dolime and mineral solutions. As a family-owned company, we are committed to delivering sustainable solutions while maintaining the highest standards of safety, operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
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Position Summary
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We are looking for an autonomous & hands-on Operational Sourcing to join the Western Europe Procurement team, with primary responsibility for Hindlow, Whitwell and Hartley. This role involves travel between the 2 main plants of Hindlow (Buxton) and Whitwell (Worksop).
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The role combines operational sourcing, spot buying and transactional procurement execution. The operational sourcing will translate plant requirements into compliant purchasing actions, execute purchase orders in procurement systems, run RFQs, follow up suppliers and support the Procure-to-Pay process from request creation through to order completion.
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Beyond day-to-day purchasing, the position involves managing local sourcing activities and purchases up to £200k/projects, negotiating with suppliers, supporting contract implementation, ensuring data quality in SAP/Coupa and helping sites secure continuity of supply at competitive cost.
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The position offers a high level of visibility, autonomy and interaction with plant management, technical teams and suppliers.
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Key Responsibilities
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Procurement & Sourcing
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- Lead end-to-end procurement activities for local spend categories.
- Execute purchase orders in systems
- Manage spot purchases and sourcing projects up to £200k
- Conduct RFQs and competitive tender processes.
- Analyse supplier proposals using Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) principles.
- Negotiate commercial, contractual and service conditions with suppliers.
- Prepare, review and implement contracts in alignment with procurement governance.
- Support strategic sourcing initiatives led by Category Managers when required.
- Identify opportunities for standardisation, supplier consolidation and cost optimisation.
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Supplier Management
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- Develop and maintain relationships with key suppliers.
- Identify, evaluate and qualify alternative suppliers.
- Monitor supplier performance and implement corrective action plans where necessary.
- Support contract compliance and supplier risk management activities.
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Stakeholder Management
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- Acts as the local procurement focal point for the each UK sites, driving procurement best practices, providing support and guidance to local stakeholders.
- Challenge demand and support internal customers in defining the most appropriate technical and commercial solutions for each UK sites.
- Facilitate discussions between suppliers and technical teams.
- Promote procurement best practices and compliance across the organisation.
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Procurement Excellence
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- Execute, support and improve Procure-to-Pay processes.
- Maintain high data quality standards within SAP, Coupa and procurement systems.
- Contribute to procurement reporting and performance tracking.
- Lead or support projects to increase procurement efficiency and business value.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures and procurement governance.
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Qualifications & Experience
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Education & Experience
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- Bachelor’s degree with relevant professional background with experience in operational and technical purchasing.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or operational purchasing within an industrial environment, working closely with maintenance, engineering, and technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience managing tenders and negotiating medium to high-value contracts & sourcing projects.
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Technical Skills
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- Strong negotiation capabilities with contract management expertise.
- Understanding of supplier relationship management and supplier performance.
- Ability to conduct spend analysis and identify value creation opportunities.
- Knowledge of sourcing methodologies and tender management.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience with SAP and procurement platforms such as Coupa.
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Languages
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- English: Fluent & other languages are a plus
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Personal Attributes
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- Works autonomously, is comfortable making decisions and demonstrates ownership and accountability.
- Commercially minded, results driven, can balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
- Builds strong relationships and influences stakeholders effectively.
- Is curious, continuously seeks improvement opportunities and is comfortable operating in a challenging industrial environment.
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What We Offer
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- A highly visible procurement role with significant autonomy – remote manager (Belgium)
- Exposure to a wide range of purchasing categories and stakeholders.
- Opportunity to lead procurement initiatives with tangible business impact.
- International collaboration within the Western Europe Procurement organisation.
- Continuous development opportunities and exposure to strategic sourcing activities.
- A dynamic industrial environment where procurement plays a key role in business performance.
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Operational Sourcing - UK in Buxton employer: Lhoist
Lhoist is an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment at our Hindlow site where innovation and teamwork are at the forefront of our operations. We prioritise employee growth through continuous training and development opportunities, while also fostering a supportive culture that values collaboration and excellence in manufacturing high-quality lime products. Join us to be part of a global leader committed to sustainability and quality, where your contributions will make a meaningful impact.
