Senior Buyer

Location

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | United Kingdom

Job description

Job title: Senior Buyer

Reporting to: Global Procurement Manager

Location: Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk (Hybrid working opportunities available)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

The Opportunity

This post holder will draft and drive a strategic sourcing strategy for the purchased products within their remit, which aligns with current and future business objectives. Identifying new suppliers, developing cost-reduction initiatives, increasing efficiencies, and mitigating supply and quality risks are integral to this role. There must be focus on sourcing from a global supply base, developing new and existing supplier relationships and ensuring sustainable and ethical supply of key raw materials as well as compliance to current and future global sustainability regulations. Proactive communication with all stakeholders, suppliers and key contacts within the supply chain will be essential. Providing real time market updates as well as market intelligence and proactive, innovative solutions to supply challenges and risks are essential to success in this position. The post holder will be expected to leverage key supplier relationships and capabilities to drive revenue growth and to proactively drive new product development opportunities.

This role will focus on managing all key aspects of the supply chain from origin to contract negotiation, to material receipt, to stock, ensuring continuity of supply and quality of key raw materials to the business. There will be substantial collaboration with external partners to foster along with a range of internal functions including, but not limited to, Procurement, Quality, Planning, Logistics, Operations, and Commercial (Marketing, Category Management and Sales).

What it’s like to work here

We’ve been making the world taste better since 1886 and sell over 3000 products in more than 90 countries, but we’re only just getting started. We’re on an exciting journey and have ambitious plans to become the indispensable partner of choice for the world’s leading flavour and fragrance houses, beverage and consumer brands. You can find out more about our exciting organisation here:  TREATT | About Treatt the trusted global ingredients manufacturer

On joining Treatt, you’ll become one of over 400 international experts, working together to collectively surprise and delight our customers. Nothing is more important to us than the happiness of our people as without them, we’d never succeed. 

We think Treatt’s a great place to work, but don’t just take our word for it:

“Everyone wants your feedback and opinion; it feels like a place of study where nurturing and encouragement are the standard. It is very clear the hard work that goes into providing excellence for customers, but it is also very apparent that managers have the same goals for helping us all to progress.” – Anita, Quality Analyst

“Joining my close and supportive team was the most enjoyable way to gain more skills and increase my knowledge” – Ashley, Distillation Control Team Leader

“Treatt creates an environment to help you be the best you can, with no two days the same and opportunities always available to help you learn and develop. The people and the culture create a fantastic company to be part of” – Rebecca, Customer Care Team Leader

What you’ll be doing

The responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to:

• Develop, manage, and implement strategic sourcing strategies, leveraging cross-functional knowledge and expertise
• Build strong raw material technical knowledge and deep understanding of raw material supply chains, which will enable recipe flexibility and supply chain resiliency
• Conduct in-depth market analysis for raw materials to make purchasing decisions and forecast pricing
• Investigate and implement ways of reducing cost by way of alternative supplier sourcing, increasing payment terms, driving supply chain efficiencies and/or negotiating better prices
• Maintain awareness of market factors and material supply issues/opportunities, identify and mitigate supply and /or quality risk and communicate pertinent information to relevant internal and external customers through proactive supplier communications
• Actively advise and support stakeholders on business-related matters to maximise value from identified opportunities and supply arrangements
• Negotiate best terms for raw material pricing and supply agreements, leveraging supplier relationships, raw material market intelligence and procurement expertise
• Ensure adherence to current and future global sustainability regulations and drive supplier initiatives to meet Treatt’s sustainability objectives and timelines
• Manage Treatt’s pricing system for designated product categories
• Visit suppliers and customers where necessary and attend industry events, which could involve international travel
• Utilise all resources and systems available, including JDE, to maintain optimal levels of inventory and ensure continuity of supply and quality parameters
• Provide education opportunities to internal stakeholders to ensure product and market awareness through collation of existing knowledge as well as provision of new information and insights
• Build and develop strong working relationships with suppliers and key stakeholders to enable priority access to raw material supplies, market intelligence and technical/marketing support
• Identify and qualify new suppliers to secure more cost-effective sources of supply and mitigate supply risks
• Support and deliver procurement objectives, and proactively support the development of the global procurement function
• Maintain a high level of internal and external service provision
• Act as a mentor and source of knowledge and expertise to members of the global procurement team as well as to cross-functional peers globally

What we’re looking for

If you have a genuine passion for what you do and want to work in an environment that celebrates progress, teamwork and dedication, you’re what we’re after.

Essential Criteria:

• A minimum of 8-10 years procurement experience in a complex buying role, or equivalent supply chain experience
• Experience developing strategic sourcing strategies
• Track record of successful negotiations that deliver direct business value
• Commercial mindset with a strong focus on providing the best possible service to our customers, both internal and external
• Proven experience dealing with high value contracts
• In-depth understanding of supply & demand fundamentals, market dynamics and price forecasting
• Experience sourcing from a global supply base and international logistics
• Strong technical knowledge relevant to respective categories and portfolio of products
• Competent international traveller

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working within the Flavour & Fragrance industry
  
• Knowledge of sustainable and ethical sourcing and global regulations
• A good understanding and experience of using systems in which we operate (JDE, Microsoft Office)
• Effective people management experience
• Bachelor’s degree (business, supply chain or agricultural economics preferred)

What we’ll do for you

We offer an excellent package which includes a competitive salary; a generous holiday entitlement as well as the opportunity to purchase additional holiday, we also offer a discretionary annual bonus, BUPA medical and dental schemes, pension scheme with 9% employer contribution, life assurance, group income protection, SAYE schemes and free shares.

With the encouragement and development you need, we help you to become your ultimate you. Beyond building a successful career, we also support the wishes and ambitions of our staff outside of the office in achieving a health work/life balance - the wellbeing of our staff is paramount to us, which we actively promote and support by regularly delivering a variety of wellbeing initiatives and offering responsibility based flexibility. There will also be opportunities to be actively involved in community and charity projects and to take part in numerous subsidized social events.

Polite Notice

We politely request that we are not contacted by any recruitment agencies. We have a preferred supplier list and high volumes of speculative calls from agencies negatively impact upon the efficiency of our business. Please help us to maintain the highest levels of customer service by respecting our wishes.

Job tags

Salary