Purchasing Manager

The CompanyOur client is a privately owned UK engineering-led SME supplying critical infrastructure solutions into highly regulated environments. The business has a long heritage, a loyal and experienced workforce and an established blue-chip customer base operating upon a global scale.The company is now entering a new phase of growth and complexity, driven by significantly larger, more demanding projects with heightened expectations around governance, cost control, resilience and ESG compliance - as such they are seeking to appoint a Purchasing Manager to facilitate their growth strategy and changing direction.The client will support a hybrid working model of c2-3 days working on site, remainder remote working.The OpportunityThe Purchasing Manager role is a newly created critical hire.Historically, procurement has been decentralised. As projects scale, risk and customer scrutiny increases, the business now needs an experienced Procurement professional to design, implement and own a fit-for-purpose procurement and supply chain framework.Reporting directly into Senior Management, the Purchasing Manager will:

• Take ownership of end-to-end procurement and supply chain activity, leading a small team
• Review current processes, systems and supplier agreements, identifying gaps and risks
• Introduce structured supplier selection, contract- and performance management
• Strengthen governance, ESG and compliance controls across the supply base
• Collaborate closely with warehousing, logistics and operations
• Develop international suppliers and support projects where required
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership

This is a hands-on role. You will set direction - but you will also execute.About YouThe ideal Purchasing Manager will be an experienced procurement professional who thrives in SME or mid-sized environments and enjoys greenfield roles with opportunity to build from scratch.You will have/be:

• Strong, practical procurement experience with technical or engineered products -
• Sector procurement experience from within electronics/telecomms beneficial (not essential)
• Exposure to international supply chains and global suppliers
• A proven track record of introducing fit for purpose procurement processes, governance and controls
• Confidence negotiating with- and managing supplier relationships
• Experience working closely with operations, logistics and delivery teams
• The credibility and resilience to work directly with senior, fast-moving leaders
• Comfortable with ambiguity, happy to get into the detail and motivated by personal ownership and driving visible change

This role will suit someone who enjoys autonomy, accountability and shaping procurement process/function, whilst remaining commercially- and delivery-focused.