Senior Procurement Manager- Logistics

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Purchasing & Stores Manager to join our team at Niftylift. Based at our state-of-the-art fabrication and manufacturing facility in Hoyland, Barnsley, this role plays a key part in supporting our global supply chain operations.

Niftylift Limited is one of the world’s leading privately owned designers and manufacturers of mobile elevated work platforms. This role offers the chance to influence and engage with the global marketplace—selecting ethical, reliable suppliers and supporting the continuous development of Niftylift’s products and operations.

This position combines leadership of the Purchasing team with responsibility for the Stores and Internal Logistics function, ensuring a robust, efficient and world‑class supply chain.

• Purchasing Management: You will lead the purchasing function for our Hoyland site, ensuring both the stability and development of our supplier base. Develop, support and coach the purchasing team. Providing leadership on development of the current and new supplier bases and logistics using processes and proven techniques to achieve a world class supply.
• To ensure commercially secure efficient purchase, control and scheduling of material at the lowest overall cost, in line with the Niftylift purchasing strategy.
• Stores Management: You will oversee all aspects of internal logistics, materials management and stock control, ensuring alignment with business objectives and Milton Keynes Logistics for consistency. Develop and align the stocking policies with the purchasing, scheduling and safety stock categories to ensure both achieve the same output of balanced stock to meet demand, enable flexibility within the supply chain to allow for seasonality in demand, providing quick responses to ramp up/ ramp down.
• Develop, support and coach the stock control team to ensure ongoing management of direct materials, stock control, stock policies and investigations into discrepancies. Ensuring accurate perpetual inventory result and annual stock take accuracy.
• Develop continuous improvement opportunities to maximise information technology to automate transactional data, maximise the use of equipment and space through “fleet” planning to optimise value added output, support environmental legislation and standards.
• Identify areas of opportunity, initiate and implement new purchasing strategies.
• Develop, maintain and audit an approved primary supplier base on their financial stability, technical, commercial, quality, delivery and support abilities.
• Support New Product Introduction projects through to implementation.
• Develop and maintain ordering methods, rolling delivery schedules, materials control and purchasing planning parameters on the company's MRP.
• Verification, investigation and resolution of MRP purchasing/schedule related issues.
• Achieve cost down through supplier's technical/engineering resources, global and currency sourcing, correct supplier selection (their skills, resource and facilities), packaging/storage, finish & coatings.
• Oversee the strategic management of logistics to identify best practice, alignment to purchasing strategies of global supply chains.
• Align direct material management processes and procedures to optimise stock control, space and cost.
• Report slow moving and obsolete stock to reduce, control and prevent.
• Maintain full understanding and compliance of the companies ISO 9001/ ISO14001/ISO18001 standards, plus develop, maintain and audit effective logistics procedures and compliance.
• Plan and maintain ‘how-to’ guides for transactional processes to support training needs and standardisation.

Minimum 5 years’ experience in a senior purchasing, commodity management or supply chain role.

Strong background in purchasing steel, welded fabrications and machined components within an engineering or similar environment.

Strong understanding of MRP systems and Microsoft Office.

Experience in stock control, internal logistics, and inventory management.

Strong experience in contract negotiations, inventory reduction and contract negotiation.

Ability to travel globally to support supplier management.

Experience with lean manufacturing tools, supplier auditing (commercial/SQA/PPAP/QPAP), and contract negotiation.

Automotive-standard supply contracts and penalties exposure.

07:30 - 16:30, Monday - Thursday

25 days holiday (rising with service to 30 days) plus bank holidays

Annual bonus (£500 per annum, based on recent average - for indication only)

5% contributory pension scheme

Life insurance scheme

Health cover scheme

Staff discounts

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee referral scheme

Discounted gym memberships

Free on-site parking

Subsidised refreshments (lunch and drink options)

Free quarterly company lunches