Head of Buying

Zachary Daniels; Coventry; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international supplier is seeking a Head of Buying to join their senior leadership team in Coventry. This role involves overseeing Purchasing, Stock Control, and Quality Assurance while implementing cost-saving strategies and maintaining supplier relationships across Europe and Southeast Asia. Applicants should have extensive experience in purchasing and stock management, along with strong negotiation skills. This opportunity offers significant influence and international scope.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior purchasing and stock management role.
• Successful strategic global sourcing experience, ideally from Southeast Asia.
• Experience in high-volume, fast-paced industries like retail or FMCG.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop teams in Purchasing, Stock Control, and QA.
• Create cost-saving programmes and oversee supplier selection.
• Manage purchase order approvals in SAP, monitor stock management.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Process optimization

Supplier relationship management

Tools

SAP

MRP systems

Job description

Are you a strategic purchasing leader ready to step up and make an impact in a dynamic, growing business? We're partnering with a successful international company supplying major household names - and they're looking for an experienced Head of Buying to join their senior leadership team at their HQ.

About the Head of Buying role

As Head of Buying, you'll oversee the Purchasing, Stock Control, and Quality Assurance functions. You'll drive cost-saving strategies, strengthen supplier relationships across Europe and Asia, and ensure high standards of compliance, stock management, and process excellence.

This is a hands-on role - you'll negotiate directly with suppliers, approve major purchasing decisions, and lead initiatives to reduce costs and optimise stock without compromising on quality or service.

Regular international travel is part of the role - you'll build and maintain strong partnerships with key suppliers in Europe and Southeast Asia.

Responsibilities

• Leading and developing teams across Purchasing, Stock Control, and QA.
• Creating and delivering cost-saving programmes with Category Managers - using product re-engineering, innovation, and supplier development.
• Overseeing supplier selection and direct negotiations.
• Managing purchase order approvals in SAP and other internal systems.
• Monitoring and reducing slow-moving stock, while maintaining agreed service levels.
• Ensuring compliance with waste legislation, customer standards and ethical requirements.
• Driving best practice, process improvements and continuous development across all functions.
• Building long-term relationships with strategic global partners.

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior purchasing and stock management role.
• Must have track record of successful strategic global sourcing - ideally with experience purchasing from Southeast Asia.
• Experience in high-volume, fast-paced industries such as retail or FMCG is desirable.
• Strong negotiation skills and the confidence to build trusted relationships at senior levels.
• Familiarity with MRP systems and working knowledge of SAP.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A commercial, results-focused mindset with a hands-on leadership style.

This is an opportunity to shape purchasing strategy for an ambitious business working with some of the world's best-known brands. You'll have genuine influence, international scope, and the chance to lead and develop high-performing teams.