Head of Purchasing

Jackie Kerr Recruitment; Worcester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Birthday day off

Pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Quarterly bonus

Christmas shutdown

Professional development

Cycle to work

Eye care

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Jackie Kerr Recruitment is seeking an Interim Head of Purchasing for a growing manufacturer and distributor of specialist construction products in Worcester. The role is three-to-six months with potential for permanency, reporting to the COO and working with Quality and Finance to balance cost, quality, and continuity of supply.

You will lead supplier strategies, negotiate terms, assess risk, and ensure robust purchasing controls across ERP/MRP systems while driving measurable savings and

Qualifications

• Senior purchasing/procurement experience in manufacturing or distribution.
• Record of delivering savings and improving supplier terms.
• Experience with dual-sourcing and supplier risk mitigation.

Responsibilities

• Lead purchasing activity and supplier strategies.
• Negotiate pricing, terms and service levels.
• Analyse spend and identify sustainable savings.
• Oversee supplier onboarding and relationships.
• Coordinate with Quality, Legal and Finance on contracts and risk.

Skills

Senior purchasing

Dual sourcing

Negotiation

Data analysis

Education

CIPS qualification desirable

Tools

ERP/MRP

Job description

We at JKR are delighted to be recruiting an Interim Head of Purchasing for a growing manufacturer and distributor of specialist construction products!

This hands-on opportunity is on a three-to-six-month basis with the potential of going permanent. It will suit a commercially focused purchasing professional who can deliver measurable savings, strengthen supply resilience and improve purchasing processes during a period of growth and transformation.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will work closely with the Head of Quality and wider business to balance commercial value with quality, compliance and continuity of supply.

Head of Purchasing Roles and Responsibilities:

• Lead purchasing activity, developing supplier strategies and negotiation plans aligned with business priorities
• Negotiate pricing, rebates, payment terms, freight, lead times, minimum order quantities, service levels and warranties
• Analyse spend and total cost of ownership, identifying sustainable savings and maintaining clear records of realised savings, cost avoidance and cash benefits
• Identify critical single-source risks and implement dual-sourcing strategies, including supplier qualification, trial orders and controlled transitions
• Assess supplier capacity, financial resilience and logistics dependencies, developing practical contingency plans
• Source, evaluate and commercially onboard new suppliers, managing strategic relationships, performance reviews and improvement plans
• Work with the Head of Quality on supplier approvals, audit priorities, non-conformances, corrective actions and appropriate cost recovery
• Coordinate supplier agreements with internal stakeholders and legal advisers, addressing liability, warranties, regulatory obligations and contractual risk
• Oversee purchase orders, supplier confirmations, delivery commitments, shortages and urgent requirements
• Strengthen purchasing controls, approval routes, ERP/MRP data, supplier records, workflows and audit-ready documentation
• Align purchasing commitments with demand, stock requirements and working-capital objectives, resolving commercial queries with Finance
• Coach purchasing colleagues, set clear priorities and report commercial performance, supplier risks and continuity issues to senior leadership
• Deliver a documented handover covering supplier risks, active negotiations, improvement priorities and recommendations for the longer-term purchasing structure

The Ideal Head of Purchasing Will:

• Have significant senior purchasing, procurement or supply-chain experience within manufacturing, distribution, product-based or technically regulated environments
• Demonstrate a proven record of delivering savings, improved supplier terms and measurable commercial value
• Have practical experience implementing dual-sourcing and supplier-risk mitigation strategies
• Understand supplier contracts, total cost of ownership, working capital and purchasing controls
• Have experience working with Quality, Technical teams and legal advisers on supplier approval, compliance and performance
• Be confident analysing data and turning incomplete information into clear priorities and decisions
• Be a credible negotiator and clear communicator, with a pragmatic, organised and hands-on approach to leading colleagues and delivering results
• Ideally hold a CIPS qualification or offer equivalent procurement experience

Benefits:

• 23 days’ holiday + Bank Holidays, with your birthday as a paid day off
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme and Private Medical Insurance
• Growth By Sharing quarterly bonus scheme
• Christmas shutdown
• Professional development opportunities and potential for career progression
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Eye Care Voucher Scheme
• Employee wellbeing initiatives, mental health support and recognition awards
• Breakfast and refreshments provided, modern open-plan working environment and on-site parking