Operational Buyer

Gillingham, Dorset

Play a key role in maintaining continuous supply of high-quality materials, enabling us to continue delivering award-winning products to our customers.

Our Operational Buyer supports the Procurement Manager in delivering and setting the purchasing and procurement policy, and works in a \’hands-on\’ capacity to ensure continuity of supply of materials.

Day to day, the Operational Buyer will:

• Minimise the risk to the Company’s brand, reputation and performance through awareness of product quality, cost, availability and stock holding.
• Schedule the supply of materials to meet production requirements and minimum safety stock levels, assessing volume requirements against planning assumptions
• Handle day-to-day PO order management and management of deliveries using Netsuite MRP software.
• Set up & source new materials as a key member of the new product development team
• Handle non-conformance management for materials liaising with QC, the supplier and stakeholders
• Develop and maintain good relationships with suppliers through review meetings, ensuring demand for materials is met, value-added services are gained and business forecasts and plans are communicated.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to forecast, plan and facilitate on-time materials to the production line
• Resolve supplier concerns and evaluate supplier performance
• Ensure full supplier compliance in line with contractual obligations, policies, and legislative requirements
• Support the Procurement Manager with sourcing exercises and category plans including assisting with benchmarking
• Review product costs and source alternative supply to achieve cost savings & maintain availability
• Review PPV (Purchase Price Variance) with a view to balance price increases with reductions in other areas.

The Operational Buyer will need:

• Previous experience of supply and demand planning and forecasting, ideally in FMCG manufacturing environment
• Knowledge and experience of using MRP (Material Requirements Planning) systems
• Strong IT systems knowledge and skills, including Excel.
• Good interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to form and maintain good relationships internally and externally
• Good understanding of supply chain processes and their interdependencies
• Understanding of supplier relationships and some experience of working with suppliers
• Commercial and financial awareness with a full understanding of how failure impacts the costs, production, manufacture and customer order fulfilment
• Results-orientated and organised mindset, with the ability to plan and deliver against deadlines
• Strong analytical, planning and problem-solving skills

Neal\’s Yard Remedies are partnering with Cogito on this recruitment. Upon receipt of your application, a member of the Cogito team will be in contact to discuss next steps.