Procurement Manager

Location: Hybrid / Tadcaster LS24, UK
job type: Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Business Operations Procurement
Salary: Negotiable salary

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for a Procurement Manager to join our team!

The Procurement Manager is responsible for leading all sourcing and purchasing activities within a highly innovative, first-of-a-kind (FOAK) machine automation environment. The role ensures the timely and cost-effective procurement of bespoke components, engineered systems, and specialist services to support complex builds, prototyping, and project delivery.

The role requires a strong commercial mindset combined with technical understanding, agility, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, evolving engineering environment. It also leverages global sourcing opportunities, including trade agreements and duty optimisation strategies, to enhance cost competitiveness and supply chain efficiency.

This is a full time position.

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities

• Deliver procurement strategies aligned to low-volume, high-complexity machine builds
• Source and manage suppliers for bespoke and long lead-time components globally
• Support engineering and project teams through design, prototyping, and build phases
• Lead commercial negotiations ensuring best value and flexibility
• Oversee expediting to ensure alignment with project schedules
• Drive standardisation and maturity of procurement processes, tools, and governance
• Build and maintain a global, diversified supplier network to reduce risk and dependency
• Support make vs buy and strategic sourcing decisions in collaboration with stakeholders
• Embed total cost of ownership (TCO) and value-based decision making across the function
• Drive cost reduction initiatives through global sourcing, value engineering, and supplier innovation
• Optimise total landed cost, including tariffs, duties, and logistics
• Proactively leverage international trade agreements and origin strategies
• Deliver measurable savings and cost avoidance aligned to business targets
• Identify and mitigate risks across supply continuity, geopolitical exposure, and supplier capability
• Develop sourcing and continuity strategies for critical components
• Enhance supply chain visibility and risk monitoring capability
• Ensure compliance with rules of origin and trade requirements
• Develop strategic supplier partnerships focused on innovation, flexibility, and performance
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and project teams
• Influence stakeholders to align sourcing decisions with business strategy
• Lead, mentor, and develop the procurement team
• Build capability in strategic sourcing, cost modelling, and global procurement practices
• Drive a high-performance culture focused on accountability, delivery, and continuous improvement

Outputs/Deliverables

• On-time delivery of materials aligned to project milestones
• Delivery of procurement strategy aligned to business growth and complexity
• Demonstrable cost savings and value creation (including tariff optimisation)
• Improved supplier performance and strategic supplier partnerships
• Reduced supply chain risk and improved resilience
• Implementation of scalable procurement processes and governance
• Enhanced visibility of procurement performance through KPIs and reporting

Knowledge and Experience

• Strong procurement experience in engineering, automation, or capital equipment
• Experience with bespoke, low-volume, high-value components
• Proven experience in developing procurement strategy and driving transformation
• Global sourcing and supplier management experience
• Strong understanding of total landed cost and TCO models
• Proven commercial negotiation and contract management skills
• Experience managing supply chain risk in complex project environments
• Strong stakeholder engagement across technical and operational teams
• Experience implementing category management or strategic sourcing frameworks
• Knowledge of trade agreements, origin compliance, and tariff optimisation
• Experience in FOAK or highly innovative engineering environments
• Exposure to digital procurement tools or ERP systems transformation

Technical Skills and Qualifications

• Strong commercial and analytical skills
• Procurement systems and tools experience
• Understanding of supply chain and logistics processes
• Advanced negotiation and influencing skills
• Strong analytical and financial modelling capability (cost breakdowns, TCO, should-cost)
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and technical specifications
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• CIPS qualification or equivalent
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Visual etc.)
• Knowledge of supply chain analytics and KPI dashboards
• Familiarity with contract law and commercial terms
• Experience in supplier development and value engineering methodologies