PURCHASING MANAGER
Are you a commercially minded Purchasing Manager who knows how to make purchasing work harder for a business?
We're working with an ambitious, established and growing SME looking to appoint a Purchasing Manager to take ownership of its purchasing function and help drive its next stage of growth.
Operating within the specialist digital printing and industrial equipment sector, this business has an impressive international supplier network, a turnover exceeding £30m and annual purchasing expenditure of approximately £25m.
This is an opportunity to step into an established role and make a genuine commercial impact.
The Role
Reporting directly to the Operations Director, you will take responsibility for the end-to-end purchasing function, moving beyond day-to-day order processing to drive commercial improvements, supplier performance and purchasing efficiencies.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Managing purchasing requirements and stock replenishment.
- Negotiating supplier pricing, contracts and commercial terms.
- Developing and challenging existing supplier relationships.
- Sourcing new suppliers and identifying alternative purchasing opportunities.
- Managing international purchasing, particularly across China and Europe.
- Coordinating international shipping, freight forwarders and import procedures.
- Monitoring stock levels, forecasting demand and improving stock availability.
- Identifying opportunities to reduce costs and improve purchasing processes.
- Using Sage to support purchasing and stock management.
What We're Looking For
We're keen to speak with purchasing professionals who can demonstrate:
- Strong experience in commercial purchasing and supplier negotiations.
- Practical experience of international shipping and importing goods.
- Confidence working with overseas suppliers and freight forwarders.
- Good understanding of stock management, forecasting and replenishment.
- An understanding of international trade procedures and VAT implications.
- Sage experience would be advantageous.
Industry experience is not essential. We're more interested in your purchasing capability, commercial awareness and ability to take ownership.
The Person
You’ll be proactive, organised and commercially astute. Someone who isn’t afraid to challenge suppliers, question existing processes and bring new ideas to the table.
You’ll enjoy the variety of an SME environment, be comfortable working autonomously and want to make a tangible difference rather than simply process purchase orders.
The Opportunity
- Location: Bracknell
- Working pattern: 3–4 days office-based, with Fridays working from home.
- Reporting directly to the Operations Director.
- An opportunity to shape and develop the purchasing function within an ambitious, growing business.
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