Sourcing Manager in Wigan

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

As a Sourcing Manager, you will play a key strategic role in strengthening Milliken’s Sourcing function by identifying, developing, and managing suppliers who deliver value, innovation, and resilience. You will influence the commercial direction of your specific areas while partnering closely with operations, engineering, finance, and global sourcing teams to drive cost optimisation, supplier excellence, and sustainable sourcing practices.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building strong supplier relationships, negotiating impactful agreements, and shaping the future of how we buy.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Global purchasing team
• Plant Leader and Operations team
• All cross functional support teams planning, warehouse, safety
• Corporate teams
• Suppliers
• Legal

PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

Integral Member of the Management team

• Understand the business strategy and contribute effectively to achieve organisational goals
• Align vendor strategy in accordance with business strategy
• Participate in period business review meeting
• Assist Business achieve targets and goals

Integral Member of European Purchasing Team

• Participate in quarterly group meetings
• Offer support to other Purchasing areas if required

Identify Opportunities to Save Cost & Add Value

• Question why we use the products/services we currently do to identify and offer alternate product/service offerings to the business that will save cost or add value to current offering

New Business Opportunities

• Advise relevant person of any potential new business opportunity that you may discover, whether it be in your local business or any other Milliken business

Networking

• Attend events to gain knowledge and benchmark other companies

Purchasing Education

• Ensure all relevant associates are trained to enable them to place orders with suppliers in accordance with Milliken’s Purchasing Policy

Police the Procurement System

• Ensure the Milliken Purchasing Policy is adhered to and report any violation

Collaboration with Lead Buyers

• Collaborate with US & European buyers any new business opportunity or purchasing initiative and vice versa to the local Business team

Travel management

• Develop travel strategy
• Ensure communication to travel provider & associates to comply with Milliken safety & budget strategies
• Monitor performance including quality, cost, compliance KPI\’s for Europe

Fleet management (Cars)

• Develop car policy in conjunction with Health & Safety & HR team
• Ensure communication to car provider & associates to comply with Milliken safety & budget strategies
• Monitor performance including quality, cost & compliance KPI\’s
• Ensure legislation is adhered to & consider environmental impacts

Responsibilities

Suppliers

• Identify ethical suppliers
• Manage supplier relationships
• Price negotiation
• Quality
• Sustainable purchasing
• Claims
• Delivery
• Audits to include ethical purchasing & slave labour procedures
• Contracts

Systems

• Purchase order approval
• Monitoring invoice queries
• Forecasting
• Legal database

Communication

• Price changes
• Opportunities
• Reporting
• Share knowledge

KEY COMPETENCIES

Essential

• Experience of negotiation, cost driven & commercially minded
• Risk Management & supplier risk both financial & supply of goods
• Ability to use own initiative to make decisions which may impact the business, but can be clearly justified
• Numerate and data rational
• Ability to communicate at all levels
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organisational skills, decision maker
• Experience in a fast paced and dynamic environment
• Proactively driving and implementing improvements & cost savings
• Able to work across different levels of the Business
• Experience of multi-disciplinary management and project work
• Hands on and proactive approach, self-motivated
• Team Player
• Committed to driving best practise in Safety and Operational Excellence
• Prepared to Travel if necessary

Desirable

• Graduate Level or CIPS qualified
• Proficient with a range of Microsoft applications, SAP & Ariba

BENEFITS AND PACKAGE

• Pension scheme
• Private Medical Cover
• Hybrid working
• Flexi time
• Death in service
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Volunteering opportunities
• Charity days and events
• Health and wellbeing networks
• Cycle to work
• Free car parking
• Subsidised canteen
• Social and company events
• Casual dress down (following policy)
• Health drop in sessions
• On site couselling
• Employee Referral Programme (EAP)
• Milliken Inspire – reward scheme including long service
• Extensive internal/external training opportunities
• Course fees, study leave and professional subscription support

If you are interested in applying for this position, please ensure to attach your CV to your application