Supply Chain Manager in Derby, Derbyshire

Supply Chain Manager | Strategic Procurement | Supplier Development | Manufacturing | Derby | £57k (c)

If you’re a Supply Chain or Procurement professional who enjoys the commercial side of supplier management rather than simply processing orders and keeping purchasing moving, this could be a really interesting opportunity.

ReQuire Consultancy is working confidentially with an established and growing product-led business in Derby to recruit an experienced Supply Chain Manager.

The day-to-day production planning and purchasing activity is already managed within the team. Your focus will sit further upstream: who the business buys from, what it pays, the terms it buys on, how suppliers perform and where improvements can be made.

You’ll inherit an established supplier base, but importantly, you’ll also have the opportunity to improve it.

What will you be doing?

You’ll take responsibility for developing a stronger, more commercially focused supply chain, working closely with Operations, Production and Finance.

That will include:

Building strong, productive relationships with key suppliers

Leading supplier reviews and driving improvements in delivery, quality and service

Negotiating pricing, payment terms, lead times, MOQs, rebates and wider commercial agreements

Identifying and developing new suppliers and secondary sources

Reducing supply risk and improving resilience across the supplier base

Reviewing sourcing and stock strategies to balance availability, lead times and working capital

Using purchasing and supplier data to identify cost and performance improvements

Helping introduce the systems, controls and reporting needed to support continued business growth

What are we looking for?

You’ll already have experience within Supply Chain, Procurement, Strategic Sourcing or Supplier Management, ideally gained within a manufacturing, engineering or product-based environment.

More importantly, we’re looking for someone who can demonstrate where they have made a tangible difference.

Perhaps you’ve renegotiated supplier agreements and delivered meaningful savings. Maybe you’ve improved an underperforming supplier base, introduced alternative sources, reduced lead times or helped a growing business put greater structure around procurement.

You’ll need to be commercially confident, comfortable negotiating and challenging suppliers, but equally capable of developing long-term relationships that work for both parties.

Experience of helping a business scale and professionalise its supply chain would be particularly attractive.

CIPS Level 4 or above, or equivalent procurement/supply chain training, would be advantageous, although it isn’t essential where the experience is there.

Why should I apply?

Because this isn’t a role where you’ll simply inherit a purchasing process and keep it ticking over.

There’s an opportunity to shape how the supply chain operates, strengthen supplier relationships, improve commercial performance and build something capable of supporting the next stage of the business’s growth.

If you’re the type of Supply Chain Manager who naturally asks “Can we source this better? Can we negotiate this better? Can we reduce the risk here?” then we’d be very interested in speaking with you.

The role is on site at our client's impressive site. Hours are flexible with early start and finish times available.