Procurement Assistant

JOHN LEWIS; Darwen; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership's Herbert Parkinson is seeking a Procurement Assistant to source materials, GNFR and services, negotiate contracts and build resilient supply chains from our Darwen office. You will run end-to-end tenders, evaluate suppliers, onboard partners and ensure compliance with governance standards while leveraging group purchasing power such as Coupa.

The role is permanent with a salary of £41,700–£45,000 dependent on experience and offers opportunities to grow within a historic

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement roles and supplier management.
• Ability to run tenders and select suppliers.
• Strong negotiation and commercial skills.

Responsibilities

• Support end-to-end tenders for raw materials and GNFR.
• Evaluate supplier proposals and onboard key partners.
• Collaborate with Planning & Logistics to mitigate supply chain risk.
• Deliver cost-saving initiatives to protect margins.
• Onboard suppliers with clear terms and SLAs.
• Maintain relationships with UK and international suppliers.
• Ensure compliance with governance standards and group purchasing power.

Skills

Procurement experience

Tendering

Vendor selection

Negotiation

Education

CIPS qualification

Tools

Coupa

Job description

About the role

At Herbert Parkinson, a proud and historic part of the John Lewis Partnership, we are embarking on an exciting transformation journey to secure our long‑term success. By investing in state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing capabilities, streamlining our operations, and creating broader, more fulfilling roles for our Partners, we are building a more sustainable and agile future. Join us as we continue to deliver exceptional quality and service for our customers while empowering our partners to thrive.

As Procurement Assistant, you will play a crucial role in the procurement of raw materials, GNFR and services. Translating customer requirements you will source, evaluate & onboard suppliers, negotiating contracts, and building supply chain resilience to deliver value to the business.

• Expected salary - £41,700 - £45,000 (dependent on experience).
• Contract type - This position is a Permanent role.
• Location - This role is based at our Herbert Parkinson Office in Darwen, Lancashire.

Key responsibilities

• Support the execution of end-to-end tenders for raw materials and GNFR (Goods Not For Resale), evaluating and selecting supplier partnerships to secure high-quality, cost-effective inputs, maximising commercial margins
• Assist in the sourcing of third-party services-collaborating with internal stakeholders to define scopes of work, evaluate supplier proposals, and onboard key service partners
• Work closely with the Planning & Logistics function to share knowledge & proactively identify and swiftly mitigate supply chain risk - , establishing robust contingency measures to safeguard business continuity & customer experience
• Surface & deliver cost-saving initiatives to reduce expenditure & expand profit margins
• Onboard suppliers - setting terms & conditions, (e.g., payment windows, service level commitments) to ensure the relationship remains sustainable for both parties
• Build and maintain strong relationships with UK and international suppliers, ensuring reliable supply chains
• Ensure all raw materials comply with the relevant legislative & governance standards
• Adhere to company procurement standards while identifying opportunities to leverage group purchasing power and platforms (e.g., Coupa)

Essential skills/experience you'll need

• Demonstrable experience of working in a procurement role
• Confident in executing tender requests & vendor selection
• Commercially astute with excellent negotiation skills

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• CIPS or relevant qualification
• Experience of procurement activity in Manufacturing sector

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The partnership

We're the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We're not just employees, we're Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there's never been a more exciting time to join us.

We're ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we're free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It's important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you'll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third‑party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.