Assistant Buyer

Macfarlane Packaging; Whiteley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging company in Whiteley is seeking an Assistant Buyer to manage suppliers and ensure adherence to quality standards. The role requires at least 1 year of commercial buying experience, strong negotiation skills, and offers a competitive salary package alongside flexible benefits including generous annual leave and a contributory pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days annual leave (rising to 27)

Contributory pension scheme

Employee discount scheme

Flexible benefits package

Annual volunteering day

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year commercial buying experience.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills required.
• Exposure to key duties in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Managing a large portfolio of suppliers.
• Sourcing and negotiating with suppliers.
• Ensuring supplies adhere to quality and service standards.
• Managing supplier performance and conducting benchmarking.

Skills

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to work under pressure

Education

CIPS accreditation

Job description

Assistant Buyer

Location : Fareham, Segensworth

Package : Basic salary up to £26,000 - £28,000 (dependent on experience) plus bonus & flexible benefits package including up to 27 days holiday (Plus additional annual leave purchasing scheme)

Sector : Packaging distribution

Protecting what matters, together

We're dedicated to protecting what matters most - our people, our customers, our communities and the environment.

At Macfarlane Packaging, our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continual improvement creates a highly collaborative, supportive and friendly workplace where you can unpack a career that grows.

With history stretching back over 75 years, we offer stability whilst always striving for continual growth.

Our fast-paced, results-driven approach will challenge and often stretch you, but it will also give you opportunities for personal and professional development.

Every colleague has the chance to directly influence our success, leading to real job satisfaction and achievement, at all stages of your career.

We provide competitive pay and personalised incentives, alongside adaptable benefits to make your rewards package go further.

And additionally, the way we work prioritises work-life balance and flexibility, empowering our colleagues to manage what is most important to them.

Our business values commitment, diligence, teamwork, adaptability and a thirst for learning so if this sounds like you, come and join us to help drive change that enables businesses to plan for a better future.

The Assistant Buyer Role

Working as a member of our local procurement team, the Assistant Buyer role will support the site at which you are based whilst upholding the company wide National procurement strategy.

This position is integral to the overall success of the business, as you will be instrumental in helping to coordinate the management and development of the regional supplier base.

Assistant Buyer Key Duties

• Managing a large portfolio of suppliers
• Sourcing and negotiating with existing suppliers, challenging prices where relevant
• Ensuring supplies adhere to quality, service and best practise initiatives
• Managing performance of the supplier base
• Assisting with tendering activity, product inquiries, and ad-hoc project work
• Purchasing of standard and non-standard stock items
• Carrying out supplier benchmarking activities
• Reporting and statistical analysis
• Upholding procurement strategy
• Maximising profitability and minimising risk to the Business
• Undertaking stock control and administration activities

Do you have the correct profile

We welcome your application provided that you have a minimum of 1 year commercial buying experience. That way, we are hopeful that you will already have gained exposure to the majority of key duties mentioned above. Ours is a fairly fast-paced sales led distribution business, so although identical experience isn't essential, any obvious synergy would be useful.

You will naturally have strong communication and negotiation skills with the ability to at times, perform under pressure and fulfil exacting timeframes. Excellent interpersonal skills are necessary to work effectively with a wide range of colleagues and departments.

You may have already gained CIPS accreditation via previous studies but if not, we do as a business offer a pathway to do so.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of your age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.

Our Benefits

We provide a competitive basic starting salary and operate a range of rewarding bonus / incentive schemes. Our flexible employee benefits package can include :

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public / bank holidays
• Additional Holiday purchasing scheme (run annually)
• Contributory pension scheme
• Free parking at the majority of our site locations
• Annual (company paid) volunteering day
• Range of company cars or cash allowance (including hybrid / electric) for qualifying job roles
• Employee assistance program to support & advise with well-being & any issues
• Extensive range of training / development & potential progression opportunities
• Employee discount scheme (discounts on several major retail / leisure brands)
• Simply Health / Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles
• Enhanced HR policies relating to various employee rights & entitlements
• Long service awards (5-40 years)
• Charitable giving options
• Financial support with eye-tests / purchasing glasses (DSE users only)
• O2 Mobile discount scheme (up to 25% off)
• Candidate referral scheme (awards £750 for referring successful applicants to Macfarlane job vacancies)

Your future with us

Here at Macfarlane Group, you truly have the potential to shape your own future and set your own ambitions.

We are a large group company where internal promotion and mobility is a key feature of our success.

Through tailored career plans, we provide a wide range of structure training & development pathways, utilizing both inhouse expertise to share knowledge and the best-in-class external training partners.

There is potential access to management & leadership development, and we work closely with recognized, accredited bodies including the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) & the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS); so there really are no limits to where your journey within Macfarlane Group may take you long term.

How to apply / next steps

We're moving quickly to find the right candidate, so apply now! Click Apply to submit your CV. All applications will be acknowledged, and we will be holding local interviews in the coming weeks.

• Please note the successful candidate will join us in January 2026

All applications will be acknowledged, shortlisted applicants normally hearing from us within a week or two.

Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified at the end of our process, although if you haven't heard from us within 2-3 weeks of applying, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE