Procurement Assistant — Supplier Negotiation & Growth

MacFarlane Group; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Pension scheme

Free parking

Employee assistance

Training & progression

Employee discounts

Health & dental cover

Family-friendly policies

Long service awards

Charitable giving

Eye tests & glasses

Referral scheme

Job summary

Macfarlane Packaging is seeking an Assistant Buyer based in Plymouth to support the regional procurement team and align with the national strategy. You will help manage suppliers, source products and negotiate terms to secure best value in a fast-paced distribution environment.

This role offers exposure to supplier management, tendering activities and procurement best practice, with a competitive salary and flexible benefits including up to 27 days holiday.

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of commercial buying or procurement experience.
• Ability to interact with suppliers and negotiate.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Good commercial awareness and deadline-driven approach.
• Experience with procurement or ERP systems is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a broad portfolio of suppliers to build strong relationships.
• Source products and negotiate pricing, service levels and terms for best value.
• Monitor supplier performance against quality, cost and service standards.
• Support tendering activities, product sourcing enquiries and procurement projects.
• Purchase standard and non-standard stock items per operational needs.
• Conduct supplier benchmarking and market comparisons for continuous improvement.
• Produce reports and analysis to support procurement decisions.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Price negotiation

Purchasing administration

Communication

Commercial awareness

Prioritisation

Microsoft Office

ERP systems

Tools

Microsoft Office

Procurement ERP systems

Job description

Macfarlane Packaging is seeking an Assistant Buyer based in Plymouth to support the regional procurement team and align with the national strategy. You will help manage suppliers, source products and negotiate terms to secure best value in a fast-paced distribution environment.

This role offers exposure to supplier management, tendering activities and procurement best practice, with a competitive salary and flexible benefits including up to 27 days holiday.