Buyer / Materials Controller

Our Engineering client based in Thetford has a brand new role for a Buyer within the Manufacturing division.

Overall Purpose of the Role:
Purchase goods, materials and commodities to ensure that production operational needs are met, taking into account price, quality, delivery lead times, supplier penalties and ensuring continuity of supply.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Manage resources and activities required for the completion of high value purchase transactions, including sourcing, planning, and expediting purchase orders to support fulfilment of production schedules and spare parts orders.
2. Build, maintain and manage supplier relationships, ensuring good communication is maintained between all parties.
3. Process purchase orders for capital and flow parts based on supply/demand situation: meeting customer’s demands, forecasting (ie. Build Plan), engineering inputs, and other system signals.
4. Evaluate and drive resolution on material quality, price, supply issues, delivery and invoice discrepancies.
5. Propose and implement job related process improvements, participate in cross-functional projects.
6. Support the purchasing function and other relevant departments and communicate any supply problems which may impact on business operations.
7. Act as an interface between suppliers and other relevant departments on purchasing processes and new projects and activities.
8. Monitor and advise on any issues which present risk or opportunity to the organisation.
9. Negotiate contracts, improve prices and terms of business with suppliers and review opportunities to make business savings utilising negotiation and procurement best practice tools and methods.

Skills and Attributes:

1. Able to build and maintain effective and productive relationships with staff, stakeholders and suppliers.
2. Good communication, negotiation, interpersonal and influencing skills.
3. Analytical, numerically astute with strong demonstrated problem solving abilities.
4. Able to manage time effectively, prioritise tasks and achieve set targets.
5. Commercial and financial awareness with a full understanding of how failure impacts the production, manufacture and customer order fulfilment.
6. Able to work well under pressure and handle emergency and stressful situations.
7. Keen attention to detail and accuracy.
8. Familiarity with an integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system would be beneficial.

Qualifications and Experience Levels:

1. Minimum 3 Years experience of working in a purchasing team preferably within an automotive or manufacturing environment.
2. Good knowledge of purchasing, negotiation, commercial understanding and cost breakdown.
3. Experience of working closely with suppliers, confident in running meetings with current and potential suppliers.
4. Able to add value, reduce costs and input to business improvements.
5. An understanding of automotive processes and components would be advantageous.
6. Computer literate, with advanced Excel skills/abilities – SAP experience would be beneficial.
7. Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) or similar qualification or studying towards CIPS qualification would be beneficial but not essential.

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