Supply Chain & Operations Manager in Tonbridge

Location: West Kent

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience – c.£35k-45k

Full-time | Permanent

Are you one of those people who naturally sees how everything connects? Purchasing. Materials. Stock. Production plans. Suppliers. Systems. Deadlines. When one piece moves, you immediately understand what it means for everything else. If that sounds like you, this is a seriously exciting opportunity to join a growing engineering business in a highly influential, varied role at the heart of its operations.

We're looking for someone who can bring together supply chain, planning, purchasing and ERP, helping make sure the right materials are in the right place at the right time – while improving the systems and processes behind it all. And this isn't a role where you'll be boxed into one narrow area. You'll have visibility across the business, work closely with multiple departments and have real scope to shape how things are done. For the right person, there's loads of opportunity to broaden the role and progress as the business grows.

What will you actually be doing?

This is a hands-on position where you'll take ownership of the flow of materials and information supporting a busy engineering operation. You'll be responsible for areas including:

• Coordinating purchasing and material requirements against production needs
• Managing and improving production and purchasing information within the ERP system
• Creating and maintaining accurate Bills of Materials
• Planning and managing works orders against production requirements
• Monitoring material availability and identifying potential shortages before they become problems
• Managing stock levels to balance availability with sensible inventory investment
• Placing and managing purchase orders
• Expediting critical components and keeping delivery information accurate
• Building strong relationships with key suppliers
• Negotiating commercial terms, agreements and service levels
• Working closely with engineering, production, operations and finance
• Improving processes, data accuracy and the overall effectiveness of the planning and purchasing function

You'll be joining an environment where priorities can change, projects move quickly and being proactive genuinely matters. If you spot something that could work better, you'll be encouraged to say so – and given the opportunity to do something about it.

What are we looking for?

There are a few different backgrounds that could work really well here. You might currently be working in supply chain, materials, production planning, purchasing, procurement or manufacturing operations and be ready for a broader role. You don't necessarily need to have held this exact job before. What matters is that you understand how purchasing, materials and production fit together and you're confident using an ERP/MRP system to make it all happen.

You'll ideally have:

• Experience within a manufacturing, engineering or similarly technical environment
• Strong purchasing and/or production planning experience
• Experience managing suppliers and negotiating commercial terms
• A good understanding of Bills of Materials and material planning
• Strong ERP/MRP systems knowledge
• Excellent attention to detail and confidence working with data
• The ability to juggle changing priorities without losing sight of the bigger picture
• A proactive approach – you're someone who spots issues and acts rather than waiting to be asked
• The confidence to work across different departments and challenge things constructively when needed

Why is this worth considering?

Because there's somewhere for this role to go. The opportunity suits someone who doesn't want to spend the next five years doing exactly the same job. You'll be working across several areas of the operation rather than being confined to one small piece of the supply chain. You'll have exposure to planning, purchasing, systems, suppliers, inventory, engineering and wider operational improvement. As the business develops, there will be opportunities for the right person to take on more, broaden their responsibilities and progress. You'll also have the chance to improve how things work rather than simply inheriting processes and being told to follow them. If you're commercially minded, organised, good with systems and enjoy being the person who keeps all the moving parts connected, this could be a fantastic next step.

Apply now for a confidential conversation.