Plant Buyer

Bekaert; Doncaster; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Bekaert is seeking an Operational Buyer to manage and support local purchasing activities, aligned with company category strategies. The role includes monitoring KPIs, managing suppliers, and driving cost-saving initiatives while ensuring compliance with procurement processes. Ideal candidates will have experience in a manufacturing environment, strong negotiation skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Benefits

Inclusive work environment

Diversity celebration

Qualifications

• Proven buyer experience, especially in manufacturing.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Experience with contracts and vendor management.

Responsibilities

• Manage local purchasing activities and KPIs.
• Drive saving actions and execute category strategies.
• Support local plant teams with procurement processes.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract & vendor management

Budgeting & Forecasting

Continuous Improvement Tools

Data analysis

Operational risk management

SAP essentials

Education

Degree in relevant field

Tools

MS Office

SAP

Job description

Be part of something bigger!

As the world and the way people live is changing, we at Bekaert believe it’s our responsibility to contribute to finding new solutions for the future. With a 140+ year old heritage of excellence, innovation, and a future-focused mindset, we strive to create value for our customers and society. We aim to do this through innovative solutions and sustainable practices. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of steel wire transformation and coatings whilst also leveraging our expertise to develop innovative solutions with new materials and services in a safe, smart, and sustainable way. Our focus extends to markets such as new mobility, low-carbon construction, and green energy.

As a dynamic and growing company with over 24 000 employees worldwide, 75 nationalities, a retention rate above 90% and almost € 5.3 billion in combined revenue in 2023, we are looking for someone like you to join our team as we continue to shape a safer, more efficient, and connected world!

Purpose and Mission

The Operational Buyer is the first line of contact for the plant. This person will perform and support local purchasing activities pre-aligned with category strategy. This person supports execution and implementation at a local level of the category strategies. At the same time this person will monitor local purchasing KPI's, stay close with business users and react by contacting the purchasing teams (Category or SSC) whenever the service level to the plant is insufficient.

Key Activities and Responsibilities

- Maintain / provide input / revise local purchasing KPI's and supply performance dashboards
- Drive saving actions according to the Regional targets
- Lead specific projects according to EMEA procurement strategy
- Provide to Categories local data for demand and market research when needed
- Participate in defining and executing the strategy as per the indication from Category Managers, Purchasing Manager or Operational Lead Buyer
- Manage sourcing events related to the Hub
- Manage contracts and vendors that are valid for the Hub
- Participate on supply contract monitoring for local supply and revise and supplier performance Vs Contracts or supply agreements
- Provide regular feedback to Purchasing Manager & Category Mngrs regarding users feedbacks of any contract deviations
- Support purchasing process with presence and perform Early Supply Involvement for purchases
- Monitor Supplier Performance and create – together with the supplier - action plans in case of under-performance.
- Support local plant teams on quality complaints, and lead the commercial settlement
- Re-direct users to the appropriate purchases contacts for inquires or specific project information needs.
- Manage activities related to invoice and good receipt with the support of SSC team, in order to make sure that the procurement process is respected
- Provide support for CoE processes implementation, tools and training for users
- Be local representation of Procurement regarding procedure, policies and tools for end users
- First Line of contact in case of local emergency
- Show flexibility in covering different categories and other plants when support is required
- Creation and maintenance of Catalogs and Tail Spend Solutions; Manage Buying Channels.
- Within the category, respecting the compliance with the purchasing process manual, policies and procedures

Skills

- Provide direction, focus, and navigate ambiguity
- Champion change and foster innovation
- Inspire others, engage, and communicate with impact
- Lead by example and create emotional attachment
- Deliver sustainable high performance
- Hold self and others accountable
- Focuses on Customers
- Negotiates
- Attends to Critical Detail
- Collaborates
- Behaves Flexibly
- Takes Initiative
- Handles Order in Work

Previous Experience

- Proven experience as a buyer, preferably in a manufacturing or plant environment.

Qualifications and Education

- Negotiation
- Contract & vendor management
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Excel or statistical analysis or equivalent data analysis
- Continuous Improvement Tools and Techniques
- Demand Planning
- Operational risk management
- Understanding the Bekaert purchasing process and its policies
- Understand markets and global trends
- SAP essentials - eBuy S2C + P2P modules
- English + language of the customer
- MS Office (Excel, ppt., etc.)

Be bold and take the leap!

We're looking for individuals who are not afraid to take risks and explore new ideas. If you are passionate about personal growth and bringing your authentic self to work, we want you on our team!
At Bekaert, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
To learn more about us and our exciting career opportunities, visit Bekaert Careers