Job Title: Graduate Buyer

Reporting To: Head of Indirect Procurement

Location: Hertfordshire

Job Purpose:

To manage the procurement of engineering and hired equipment across our UK sites. The categories cover capital purchase of equipment, spare parts and servicing and hired equipment. You’ll need to look for value and seek to meet our ESG commitments.

Responsibilities:

Health & Safety: Employees must not endanger themselves, or others, by their acts or omissions. In addition, they must co-operate with their employers, as long as this

co-operation does not lead to an increased risk to health and safety, or is an illegal act, so that the employer can comply with their statutory duties, thereby making the responsibility for safety a joint effort between employer and employee.

Food Safety: Employees must ensure they adhere to all procedures and policies relating to food safety when operating at the Weston site.

Lean: Employees must ensure they endeavour to support the key lean initiatives relating to waste minimisation and continuous improvement.

Quality: Employees must ensure that they take a quality approach to fulfilling the requirements of their role and endeavour to get it right first time.

Ethical: Employees must ensure that they fulfil their job role in an ethical manner and that they adhere to the Company’s policies relating to ethical practices in their dealings with other employees.

Environmental: Employees must ensure that they are continually mindful of the Company’s environmental aims and that where possible whilst fulfilling their job role they minimise their personal impact upon the environment.

Principle Accountabilities:

Develop and implement procurement strategies for engineering equipment and materials.
Identify and evaluate potential suppliers, negotiate contracts, and establish long-term partnerships.
Manage the entire procurement process: creating a plan, implementing it and working with stakeholders along the way.
Monitor market trends and conduct cost analysis to optimise purchasing decisions.
Collaborate with operations team, project management, and finance teams to understand project requirements and ensure timely delivery of equipment.
Work with the procurement team to ensure that contracts appropriately protect the business.
Resolve any issues related to delivery, quality, or pricing discrepancies.
Continuously seek opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.

Contact with others:

Internal customers: operations and engineering, finance and leadership
External suppliers

Experience, Knowledge, Qualifications

Specific Competencies/Skills:

Judgement

Can identify ideas and alternatives
Thinks logically and makes decisions

Motivation

Strong motivated character – “can-do” approach
Focusses energy into taking the initiative
Curious attitude, and the ability to ask the right questions

Organisation

Works in a systematic and proactive manner to complete tasks
Able to prioritise tasks in pressured situations
Demonstrates excellent attention to detail

Knowledge/Experience

Good working knowledge of MS Excel and ability to quickly understand basic MRP systems
Experience in a similar field (e.g. Horti, FMCG or engineering) is helpful but not expected

Perception

Aware of how people are feeling/reacting and adapts approach accordingly

Communication

Able to communicate across all levels of the business and supply base
Ensures others’ understanding

Alexander Steele

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