Buyer

Fawkes & Reece London; Liverpool City Region; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Enhanced pension

Hybrid working

Discounts and rewards

Annual bonus

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

Fawkes & Reece London is seeking a Buyer to join its commercial team. You will manage material procurement for North-West house builds, ensuring costs align with budgets, programmes and specifications.

You will work with the Design Manager, Estimator and Head of Commercial to optimise costs, review specifications, and push value engineering while maintaining build quality and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and government regulations.
• Experience in a house building commercial position within an established house building organisation.
• Experience of managing budgets, commercial reporting, negotiation.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with a strong customer focus.
• Results driven with the ability to manage conflicting stakeholder priorities.

Responsibilities

• Produce schedules of materials per house type from the core range of house types.
• Liaise with the Estimator, Senior Quantity Surveyor and Head of Commercial on costs and tender returns.
• Review materials specs with Design Manager, Estimator and SQS.
• Assist with negotiating material framework agreements to reduce costs and maximise profitability.
• Assist with site start budgets and value engineering to keep developments viable.
• Prepare tenders for materials and review tender returns for cost plan alignment.
• Place orders with material suppliers in line with programme and process variations promptly.
• Attend site to resolve material cost queries and state issues.
• Review invoices for accuracy and raise payments.
• Contribute to cost to complete with the Quantity Surveyor on material costs and allowances.
• Negotiate price increases and source new suppliers without delaying builds.

Skills

Legislation knowledge

Budget and reporting

Communication skills

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Attention to cost control

Education

Degree level or equivalent in a related discipline

Job description

A regional house builder have a requirement for a Buyer to join their commercial team. The company specialise in New Build Housing developments across the North-West region.

Buyer role

Reporting to the Head of Commercial, you will be responsible for managing the supply chain in respect of material procurement. Ensuring materials are procured to budget, programme, and specification. Thereby contributing to effective operational delivery of housebuilding operations.

• Produce schedules of materials per house type from the core range of house types. Liaise with the Design Manager, Estimator and Head of Commercial on queries and suggested improvements to minimise waste and reduce cost.
• Liaise with the Estimator, Senior Quantity Surveyor and Head of Commercial on bible build costs. Ensure that details of material expenditure on live/completed developments is accurate.
• Review the standard materials specification at regular intervals in conjunction with the Design Manager, Estimator, SQS and the Senior Management Team.
• Assist the SQS and Head of Commercial with negotiating material framework agreements including rebate arrangements to reduce standard costs and maximise profitability.
• Assist with the production of site start budgets ensuring material allowances are in line with cost plan allowances. Maximise profitability and assist with value engineering to ensure developments remain viable without compromising build quality and health and safety.
• Prepare tenders for materials ensuring information and tender inclusions and undertake a detailed review of tender returns to ensure that materials are procured in line with cost plan allowances and site start budgets.
• Place orders with material suppliers in line with programme following the above tender process. Where variation orders are required from site process these in a timely manner.
• Attend site regularly to deal with queries raised about materials and ensure that cost issues relating to materials are discussed and resolved.
• Ensure that material invoices received are reviewed for accuracy and payment raised accordingly in line with order terms and deal with any payment queries raised by material suppliers.
• Contribute to the cost to complete with the Quantity Surveyor on material costs and allowances and undertake material on site reconciliation.
• Negotiate material price increases with supply chain to minimise cost increases. Where required procure new material suppliers and raise orders without impacting build programme.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and government regulations.
• Degree level or equivalent in a related discipline.
• Experience in a house building commercial position within an established house building organisation.
• Experience of managing budgets, commercial reporting, negotiation
• High commercial acumen with the ability to work at pace.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with a strong customer focus.
• Results driven with the ability to manage conflicting stakeholder priorities.

The company are offering a competitive salary (dependant on experience), with a car allowance, and additional company benefits including an enhanced pension scheme, flexible and hybrid working options, discounts and reward schemes, annual bonus and continued learning and development opportunities.