Senior Buyer
Type: Full time, permanent
Location: North Nottinghamshire
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000

Job Overview:

The Senior Buyer will take ownership of the end-to-end procurement process for raw materials and finished goods, including sourcing suppliers, obtaining and evaluating quotations, negotiating commercial terms, and placing orders to meet both current and anticipated production and customer demand.

This is a fast-paced position within an environment with a high volume of fast-moving products. The successful candidate will be responsible for effectively managing and optimising inventory to ensure customer demand is consistently met, stock levels remain within agreed targets, and overall procurement and inventory costs are controlled.

Strong analytical skills are essential for this role, with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Power BI being a key requirement. The Senior Buyer will be expected to use data confidently to analyse purchasing and inventory performance, identify trends and opportunities, produce meaningful reports and dashboards, and support informed commercial decision-making.

The role will also drive continuous improvement across the procurement function, with a particular focus on achieving improvements in cost, quality, delivery and safety, while identifying opportunities to improve processes, supplier performance and overall supply chain efficiency.

The Senior Buyer will have direct responsibility for supporting and developing the Material Planner, providing appropriate direction, resources and guidance to ensure agreed objectives and performance expectations are achieved.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• To be an expert in the use of DOMO and champion the full integration of the platform into the business
• Responsible for supplier sourcing, procurement and delivery of raw materials, machined components, contract manufacturing & services to build a competitive solution for customers whilst maximising margin for the business
• Leading the assessment of supply base capability vs need, supplier sourcing, risk assessment, supplier selection & development, negotiation with suppliers, scheduling, ERP / MRP system planning, supplier contract management, conflict resolution and maintaining cost-effective inventory control for all materials
• Ensures that all regulatory requirements with respect to purchasing, storage, and transportation of materials are adhered to
• Provide input in the supplier development process by evaluating suppliers’ performance and working with suppliers to facilitate improvements in cost, quality, and delivery
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives, when called upon
• Maintenance of accurate purchasing records in the ERP system as well as the other files and databases used with the company
• Ongoing problem solving and management of material shortages and problem parts
• Vendor management – quality and on-time delivery reporting and management
• Support of accounts payable and receiving issues associated with their P.O.’s
• Timely processing & resolution of rejected material
• Quoting to support sales efforts
• Sourcing of new parts related to implementation of a quote or a quote/buy
• Material status reporting
• Analysis, resolution, and recording of purchase price variances
• Other assigned duties

About the candidate:

• Vast experience within a procurement / material control / buying environment
• Experience of using MRP/DRP processes
• Knowledge of SAP preferred but not required
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office; particularly Excel/Power BI
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Great eye for detail
• Cradle to grave mentality
• Customer awareness
• Ability to multi-task and work to deadlines
• Capability to work independently and prioritise workload
• Experience in negotiating and diplomacy