Assistant Buyer

Macfarlane Group UK Ltd; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Holiday purchase

Pension

Free parking

Volunteering day

Employee assistance programme

Training & progression

Employee discounts

Health cover

Wellbeing policies

Long service awards

Charitable giving

Eye test

O2 discount

Referral scheme

Job summary

Macfarlane Packaging, based at our Plymouth site, is seeking an Assistant Buyer to support local procurement and align with the national strategy. You will help manage supplier relationships, source products and negotiate terms to ensure best value and reliable delivery.

The role offers exposure to supplier management and procurement best practice in a fast-moving distribution environment, with a competitive salary and flexible benefits package.

Qualifications

• Experience in supplier interaction, price negotiation and purchasing administration.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally.
• Good commercial awareness and the confidence to challenge constructively.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office; experience with procurement or ERP systems is advantageous.
• A proactive, organised and detail-focused approach.
• CIPS study or accreditation is beneficial but not essential – we offer support and development towards professional qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a broad portfolio of suppliers, building strong and effective working relationships.
• Source products and negotiate pricing, service levels and terms to ensure best value for the business.
• Monitor supplier performance against agreed quality, service and cost standards.
• Support tendering activities, product sourcing enquiries and ad-hoc procurement projects.
• Purchase both standard and non-standard stock items in line with operational requirements.
• Carry out supplier benchmarking and market comparisons to drive continuous improvement.
• Produce reports and analysis to support procurement decisions and performance tracking.
• Support stock control, purchasing administration and system accuracy.
• Work closely with internal departments including sales, operations and logistics to ensure supply meets demand.
• Uphold procurement policies and contribute to risk reduction, cost control and margin improvement.

Skills

Supplier interaction

Price negotiation

Purchasing administration

Communication

Cross-functional work

Deadline management

IT skills

Job description

Assistant Buyer

Location: Estover, Plymouth

Salary: £28,000-£30,000 (dependent on experience) + bonus and flexible benefits (including up to 27 days holiday + holiday purchase scheme)

Hours: 37.5 per week, Monday-Friday

Sector: Packaging distribution

Protecting what matters, together

At Macfarlane Packaging, we protect what matters most – our people, our customers, our communities and the environment. Our commitment to customer service, sustainability and continuous improvement creates a collaborative and supportive workplace where you can build a career that grows with you.

With over 75 years of industry expertise, we combine stability with ambition. Ours is a fast-paced, results-focused environment that will challenge and stretch you – but also provide genuine opportunities for development, progression and long-term career satisfaction.

We offer competitive pay, performance incentives and a flexible benefits package, alongside a culture that supports work-life balance. If you value teamwork, accountability, adaptability and continuous learning, we would love to hear from you.

The Assistant Buyer Role

As an Assistant Buyer based at our Plymouth site, you will play an important role within our local procurement team, supporting site operations while aligning with the wider national procurement strategy. You will help manage and develop the regional supplier base, ensuring products and services are sourced competitively, delivered reliably, and aligned to business objectives.

This is a varied and commercially focused role in a fast-moving distribution environment, offering excellent exposure to supplier management, negotiation and procurement best practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a broad portfolio of suppliers, building strong and effective working relationships
• Source products and negotiate pricing, service levels and terms to ensure best value for the business
• Monitor supplier performance against agreed quality, service and cost standards
• Support tendering activities, product sourcing enquiries and ad-hoc procurement projects
• Purchase both standard and non-standard stock items in line with operational requirements
• Carry out supplier benchmarking and market comparisons to drive continuous improvement
• Produce reports and analysis to support procurement decisions and performance tracking
• Support stock control, purchasing administration and system accuracy
• Work closely with internal departments including sales, operations and logistics to ensure supply meets demand
• Uphold procurement policies and contribute to risk reduction, cost control and margin improvement

What You Will Bring

We welcome applications from candidates with at least one year of commercial buying or procurement experience, ideally within a fast-paced, sales-led or distribution environment.

• Experience of supplier interaction, price negotiation and purchasing administration
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally
• Good commercial awareness and the confidence to challenge constructively
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office; experience with procurement or ERP systems is advantageous
• A proactive, organised and detail-focused approach
• CIPS study or accreditation is beneficial but not essential – we offer support and development towards professional qualifications.

Our Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and bonus, alongside a flexible benefits package that can include:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 with service) plus bank holidays
• Annual holiday purchase scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Free parking at most sites
• Company-paid volunteering day
• Employee assistance programme
• Extensive training, development and progression opportunities
• Employee discounts with major retailers and leisure brands
• Health and dental cover options
• Enhanced family-friendly and wellbeing policies
• Long service awards
• Charitable giving options
• Eye test and glasses support (for DSE users)
• O2 mobile discount scheme
• £750 employee referral scheme

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If you require adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact our recruitment team.