Purchasing Manager

Watton Recruitment Ltd; Shefford; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Watton Recruitment Ltd is seeking an experienced Purchasing & Inventory Manager to own stock, buying terms and landed costs. You will work with suppliers to maximise terms, manage PO processes for multiple suppliers, and use data to drive range decisions and reduce working capital.

The role requires strong analytical skills, ERP/demand planning experience and proven negotiation ability to secure favorable terms. Based in the UK, this position may involve on-site collaboration with operations.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in purchasing, buying, procurement or inventory management in a distribution or wholesale environment.
• Strong negotiation skills with suppliers and a track record of rebates or favourable terms.
• Advanced Excel skills and confidence with ERP data.
• Experience presenting findings to management.

Responsibilities

• Own stock and purchasing control across key suppliers, balancing availability with cost.
• Develop and use a landed cost calculator tracking price, freight, duty, FX, and handling.
• Drive supplier relationships, with regular reviews and performance scorecards.
• Produce SLOB reports and work with Sales on clearance and discounting strategies.
• Identify high-margin/high-velocity lines and guide focus for sales.

Skills

Purchasing

Supplier negotiation

Excel

ERP data analysis

Inventory management

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Role purpose

To own the commercial and financial performance of our purchasing and inventory. That means keeping stock lean and turning fast, getting the best possible terms from suppliers, and using data to tell the business where to sell harder, what to stop buying and what to add to the range. This is a proactive, commercially minded role, expected to bring ideas and recommendations rather than wait for instruction.

1. Stock and purchasing control (the core, and non-negotiable)

• Raise and manage purchase orders across 5-6 key suppliers and 10-15 smaller suppliers, balancing availability against a 1.6%-per-month cost of stock finance

2. Landed cost and buying efficiency

• Build and use a standard \"price break vs holding cost\" calculator, so every bulk-buy decision is made on numbers.


• Track total landed cost (price, freight, duty, FX, handling) rather than unit price alone.

3. Supplier relationship management

• Move from transactional ordering to proactive supplier relationships, including regular reviews with key suppliers.


• Create and run supplier performance scorecards: on-time in-full, lead-time reliability, quality/defect rates, price stability, responsiveness and claims handling.


• Help shape back-end terms: annual rebates, growth incentives, payment terms, /stock rotation rights, consignment or call-off arrangements.


• Lead annual reviews, with a plan agreed before each meeting.

4. Data analysis and commercial direction

• Produce regular SLOB (slow-moving and obsolete stock) reports with recommended actions: sales push, bundling, supplier returns, discounting or write-off.


• Work with Sales on clearance plans and agree targets for reducing SLOB.


• Identify high-margin and high-velocity lines and recommend where sales effort should be focused.

Person Specification

• Proven experience in purchasing, buying, procurement or inventory management in a distribution or wholesale environment


• Demonstrable results in negotiation with suppliers, ideally with a track record of rebates or terms


• Strong analytical skills, confident with ERP data and advanced Excel


• Comfortable presenting findings and recommendations to management


• Knowledge of our industry and product categories is desirable


• Experience of supplier onboarding and range reviews

Full Job spec available on request