Commodity Buyer Luton £DOE

Luton, Bedfordshire
Progressive – BirminghamEng

Commodity Buyer Luton £DOE

Progressive Engineering and a major Global Engineering OEMs are looking to recruit a Commodity Buyer on a permanent basis for their Engineering & Manufacturing HQ in the Luton area (Hertfordshire), owing to succession planning and business forecast & demand for 2025-26+.

Reporting into the Supply Chain Manager, the Commodity Buyer will be responsible for developing, executing and continually refining supply chain strategies for all assigned commodities to deliver industry-leading supplier quality, product/service delivery, customer service levels, total cost and cash-flow performance.

Responsibilities of Commodity Buyer:

• For assigned commodities, develop and lead the execution of a global supply chain strategy that supports business objectives for cost reduction, supplier OTD and lead-times, supplier Quality and inventory reduction, incl. rationalizing supply base, drive increased sourcing from low-cost sources, leveraging indirect material/services spend with other business units, and negotiating & implementing Long-Term Supplier Agreements.
• Maintain awareness of industry trends and world markets for indirect spend categories including, but not limited to: freight, MRO, IT, travel, energy/utilities and HR services.
• Establish and lead teams to identify and action improvement and savings opportunities.
• Obtain competitive bids, analyze costs and negotiate contracts to vendors on the basis of total costs to the company commensurate with financial risks, quality standards, and delivery capabilities.
• Upload and maintain integrity of data
• Monitor on-going supplier performance, support functions/Business Units in resolving chronic supplier performance problems, revise supplier strategies and if necessary, lead project/s to exit poor performing supplier/s.
• Lead periodic Business Reviews with key suppliers to review quality, delivery, cost and service performance, progress on strategic initiatives and ensure on-going strategic alignment between business & Supplier.
• Participates, facilitates, and leads Kaizen events that will eliminate waste, improve pull and one-piece flow, and deliver breakthrough results in growth, safety, quality, delivery, and cost throughout the Supply Chain.
• Ownership of the day to day Indirect tasks at the Luton site – including but not limited to raising and progressing orders, resolving shipping and invoice discrepancies.
• Engender a spirit of cooperation throughout the supply chain to ensure responsiveness to the customer.

For this Commodity Buyer role, my client is looking for a Commodity Buyer with the following Experience & Qualifications:

• Ideally Degree qualified in Engineering, Technical or Business Discipline
• Previous experience in an Indirect Supply Chain/Commodity-based role
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Ability to travel circa 25% of time
• Broad knowledge of key indirect spend categories including, but not limited to: freight, MRO, IT, travel, energy/utilities and HR services.
• Previous experience in sourcing services & goods, using supplier performance management best-practices to drive supplier continues improvement.
• Understanding of Six Sigma & experience in implementing lean concepts (Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen Leadership, 5S, etc)
• Direct experience implementing lean concepts (Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen Leadership, 5S, etc).
• Lean Manufacturing and Six-Sigma Green Belt and CIPS certifications highly desirable
• Excellent analytical, problem solving/decision making skills; ability to make timely, effective, fact-based decisions. Includes a strong working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and scheduling software.
• Proficient in ERP systems and Microsoft office suite software (eg Word, Excel, Access, MS Project, etc.).
• Prior experience implementing and managing a Kanban or pull system approach to component flow.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to perform and produce results in multifunctional teams in a dynamic work environment.
• Proven ability to develop collaborative relationships and influence up, down, and across organizational lines

For the successful Commodity Buyer, a salary reflective of experience is on offer and this Commodity Buyer role is commutable from Hitchin, Letchworth, Luton, Royston, Bedford, Milton Keynes, St Neots, Huntingdon, St Albans, Stevenage, Hatfield, Herford, Ware & Epping.

In addition, my client does offer hybrid & flexible working after the first 3 months.

To be considered for this Commodity Buyer role, please apply via the link below.

To find out more about Progressive Recruitment please visit the website.

Progressive Recruitment, a trading division of SThree Partnership LLP is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy | Registered office | 1st Floor, 75 King William Street, London, EC4N 7BE, United Kingdom | Partnership Number | OC387148 England and Wales