Buyer

The Bower Partnership; Scunthorpe; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing company in Scunthorpe is seeking an experienced Buyer to manage purchasing and material control activities. This role involves sourcing materials, maintaining inventory, and managing supplier relationships to ensure production commitments are met. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of experience in purchasing within a manufacturing environment and strong skills in ERP systems and negotiation. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to contribute to a growing team.

Qualifications

• 5 years in purchasing, procurement, or material control in manufacturing.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems is essential.
• Ability to forecast demand and manage inventory levels.

Responsibilities

• Source and place purchase orders for materials and components.
• Maintain inventory levels using forecasts and production schedules.
• Track order progress and manage supplier relationships.
• Monitor supplier delivery, quality, and costs.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Vendor management

Cost control

Data analysis

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Education

GCSEs in English and Maths

Accreditation in Supply Chain or Business

CIPS qualification

Tools

ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics)

Excel

Job description

My client is a growing manufacturer of building products made primarily using steel and aluminium. They are growing at 20% YoY and require a Buyer to join their team.

Profile

Experienced Buyer / Material Controller to manage purchasing, inventory and supplier relationships for a UK manufacturing operation, ensuring materials are available to meet production and customer commitments while minimising cost and waste.

About the Role

You will own end‑to‑end purchasing and material control activities: forecast and replenish stock, raise and manage purchase orders in the ERP/MRP system, monitor supplier performance, and work closely with production, planning and logistics to align supply with demand. The role requires strong commercial judgement, accurate data control and practical problem solving under tight lead‑time pressures.

Key Responsibilities

• Purchasing: Source and place purchase orders for raw materials, components and services; negotiate price, terms and lead times; maintain approved supplier list.
• Material control: Maintain target inventory levels using demand forecasts, production schedules and safety stock rules; perform cycle counts and support physical stock takes.
• Order management: Track order progress, expedite late deliveries, manage changes and resolve discrepancies with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Supplier management: Monitor supplier on‑time delivery, quality and cost; develop corrective actions and supplier improvement plans.
• Systems & records: Accurately input and maintain purchase orders, goods receipts, supplier invoices and stock records in ERP/MRP system; produce regular inventory and purchasing reports.
• Cost & continuous improvement: Identify cost‑saving and process‑improvement opportunities (procurement, packaging, lead‑time reduction, waste reduction).
• Compliance: Ensure purchasing activities meet company policies, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Experience: 5 years in purchasing, procurement or material control within a manufacturing environment; experience with MRP/ERP systems essential.
• Technical skills: Proficient with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics) and Excel for data analysis.
• Commercial skills: Strong negotiation, vendor management and cost‑control experience.
• Analytical skills: Accurate numerical skills, ability to forecast demand and set safety stock levels.
• Personal attributes: Organised, decisive, good communicator, able to prioritise and work to deadlines.
• Qualifications: GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths; accreditation in Supply Chain, Business or related field desirable; CIPS qualification is an advantage.