Senior Buyer

Yolk Recruitment is supporting an established manufacturing organisation with the recruitment of an experienced Senior Buyer to join their Supply Chain team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced procurement professional who enjoys taking ownership of a substantial supplier portfolio, combining purchasing and supplier management with planning, problem-solving and detailed data analysis.

This is what you'll be doing

As Buyer, you'll take responsibility for a portfolio of approximately 20-30 UK and international suppliers, managing purchasing activity from sourcing and negotiation through to ongoing performance, planning and delivery.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a portfolio of 20-30 suppliers, taking ownership of purchasing requirements, order books, lead times and supplier performance.
• Sourcing, evaluating and onboarding new suppliers, assessing commercial capability, quality, service and supply performance.
• Leading supplier negotiations across pricing, payment terms, contracts and delivery agreements to achieve best overall value.
• Building strong supplier relationships while confidently challenging performance, quality, service levels and delivery where required.
• Using advanced Excel and data analysis to understand purchasing volumes, demand, supplier performance, lead times and order-book requirements.
• Analysing data to identify trends, risks, supply issues and opportunities, using findings to support effective purchasing and planning decisions.
• Managing supplier lead times and proactively resolving issues that could impact material availability or continuity of supply.
• Developing cost-saving initiatives through commercial analysis, benchmarking, negotiation and alternative sourcing.
• Monitoring supplier and Supply Chain risk and implementing appropriate corrective or preventative actions.
• Working closely with internal teams to understand future requirements and volumes, ensuring purchasing activity remains aligned with operational demand.
• Developing and monitoring procurement KPIs and producing meaningful reports to support Supply Chain decision-making.
• Identifying opportunities to improve purchasing processes, supplier performance and ways of working.
• Maintaining accurate purchasing and supplier information across internal ERP/MRP systems.

The experience you'll bring

• Strong experience as a Buyer, Senior Buyer, Procurement Specialist or similar, ideally within a fast paced manufacturing or engineering environment
• Proven experience independently managing a sizeable supplier/purchasing portfolio.
• Strong understanding of planning, purchasing volumes, order-book management and supplier lead times.
• Excellent supplier management skills, with the confidence to challenge underperformance and resolve quality, service and delivery issues.
• Strong commercial and negotiation experience, including achieving cost savings and improved supplier terms.
• Experience sourcing, evaluating and onboarding new suppliers.
• Advanced Excel and data-analysis capability is essential, with experience interpreting large volumes of purchasing and Supply Chain data.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn data into practical purchasing decisions.
• Experience using ERP/MRP or procurement systems.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and confidence working collaboratively across different departments.
• Highly organised, commercially minded and comfortable taking ownership and making informed decisions.

And this is what you'll get in return

• Salary up to £40,000, negotiable for the right person
• Hybrid working - 2 days working from home per week
• 37.5-hour working week: Monday-Thursday: 7:30am-4:00pm, Friday: 7:00am-1:00pm
• 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
• Share Scheme
• Cashback health plan
• Life assurance
• Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• A varied role with genuine ownership of a supplier and purchasing portfolio
• Opportunity to directly influence supplier performance, cost reduction and procurement improvements
• Collaborative Supply Chain environment

Are you interested?

If you feel you have the skills and experience to be successful in this Buyer position, apply today by sending your CV. One of our consultants will be in touch to discuss the opportunity in more detail.

Please note: Due to high application volumes, we can't respond to every applicant. If you haven't heard from us within 7 days, unfortunately you've not been successful on this occasion. Please check our website for other opportunities.