Indirect Buyer

William Scott Consulting Ltd; Stafford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive manufacturing firm in Stafford is seeking an Indirect Buyer to manage multi-site responsibilities across three plants. In this role, you will own the entire supply strategy for maintenance and services, negotiate contracts, and drive significant savings. Ideal candidates will have a background in indirect buying within manufacturing, possess strong communication and relationship-building skills, and be results-driven. The position offers a competitive salary of £50k - £55k, a robust benefits package, and genuine opportunities for career progression.

Benefits

10% employer pension contribution

Electric car scheme

Cycle-to-work scheme

Discounted gym membership

Option to buy/sell holiday

Flexible working hours

1 day a week work-from-home

Genuine progression opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven results in achieving real savings.
• Experience in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Own the entire supply strategy for maintenance and services.
• Deliver and exceed savings targets that impact the bottom line.
• Negotiate contracts and manage supplier relationships.

Skills

Indirect/MRO/plant buying experience

Strong relationship building skills

Strong communication

Results driven

Ambitious

Education

CIPS certification

Job description

Indirect Buyer - Automotive Manufacturing Midlands (multi-site responsibility across three plants) £50,000 - £55,000 DOE + excellent benefits

Most buying jobs are predictable. This one isn't.

One day you're negotiating a supplier on forklift tyres, the next you're locking in a multi-million-pound site-services deal across multiple plants. It's fast, it's varied, it's challenging, but nobody breathes down your neck, and you're treated like an adult.

Day-to-day you'll:

• Own the entire supply strategy for maintenance, repair, services and consumables
• Deliver (and beat) serious savings targets that hit the bottom line
• Benchmark, run RFQs, negotiate contracts like a pro
• Chase down non-conformities and make sure they stay fixed
• Keep the plants, engineering and finance all pointing the same direction
• Identify market opportunities to satisfy the plants requirements
• Improve and implement the cost reduction programs through price reductions / optimisations

You’ll thrive here if you have:

• Real indirect/MRO/plant buying experience inside manufacturing (advantageous if this has come from within Automotive)
• CIPS is advantageous; proven results are essential
• A track record of real savings and juggling multiple projects without dropping any
• Strong communication - you'll talk to people on the shop floor and ops directors in the same hour across differing departments, so you'll utilise your strong relationship building skills
• The drive to work independently but the sense to escape when it matters

You’ll fit if you're:

• Proactive, results driven and enjoy building meaningful relationships
• Brilliant at prioritising the 3 things that matter out of 20 on your plate
• Comfortable pushing back (politely but firmly) when needed
• Ambitious - you want the next step (senior MRO, category lead, logistics, development - it's all possible here)

About the Organisation:

A large, high volume automotive manufacturing operation that forms part of a global tier one group. The site operates in a fast paced, quality critical environment where equipment uptime, supplier performance and cost control directly impact production and customer delivery.

This role offers the chance to work within a globally connected manufacturing business while having real ownership and visibility at site level. You will gain exposure to best practice processes, complex operations and a role that genuinely impacts performance.

The benefits package:

• £50k base (up to £55k if you're exceptional)
• 10% employer pension contribution
• Electric car scheme via salary sacrifice
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Option to buy/sell holiday
• Flexible start & finish times every day
• 1 day a week work-from-home
• Genuine progression - promotion from within and there's clear headroom

If you get a buzz from turning supplier chaos into hard cash savings and being trusted to just get on with it, send your CV and we'll talk further.