Senior Buyer

J C Bamford Excavators Ltd; Uttoxeter; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite gym

Company pension

Cycle to Work Scheme

Rewards Hub discounts

Job summary

JCB in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Buyer to support purchasing activities, drive compliance and continuous improvement across the function. You will lead the buying team and help deliver value across the business.

You will deputise for the Purchasing Manager, coach Buyers, lead RFQ activity, and build strong supplier relationships while ensuring governance and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of procurement processes and supplier management.
• Proven ability to coach and develop team members.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Experience managing escalations and resolving operational issues.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience supporting recruitment and onboarding activities.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to work with urgency.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day management of purchasing activities and act as first escalation point.
• Coach and develop Buyers to build capability and performance across the team.
• Deputise for Purchasing Manager and prioritise team workloads.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, procedures and governance requirements.
• Lead RFQ activities and support procurement projects to deliver business objectives.
• Build strong supplier relationships and resolve supplier-related issues when required.
• Maintain procurement trackers, identify risks and drive proactive solutions.
• Create and improve SOPs, best practice documentation and ways of working.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality and service delivery.

Skills

procurement processes

supplier management

coaching & development

stakeholder management

continuous improvement

organisational skills

communication skills

problem solving

urgency and decision making

team leadership

Tools

ERP systems

RFQ tooling

Job description

About the role:

The Senior Buyer is responsible for supporting the day-to-day management of procurement activities, ensuring efficient purchasing operations, supplier engagement and adherence to company processes. Acting as the primary escalation point for operational issues, the role provides leadership, coaching and guidance to the buying team while driving continuous improvement, compliance, and operational excellence across the purchasing function.

What does this role involve day to day?

• Supporting the day-to-day management of purchasing activities and acting as the first point of escalation for operational issues.
• Coaching and developing Buyers, helping to build capability, confidence and performance across the team.
• Deputising for the Purchasing Manager and supporting the effective prioritisation of team workloads.
• Ensuring compliance with procurement policies, procedures and governance requirements.
• Leading RFQ activities and supporting procurement projects to deliver business objectives.
• Building strong supplier relationships and resolving supplier-related issues when required.
• Maintaining key procurement trackers, identifying risks and driving proactive solutions.
• Creating and improving SOPs, best practice documentation and ways of working.
• Leading continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality and service delivery.

This will be suited to you if…

• You have a strong understanding of procurement processes and supplier management.
• You have proven ability to coach and develop team members.
• You possess strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• You have excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• You have experience managing escalations and resolving operational issues.
• You have knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies.
• You have experience supporting recruitment and onboarding activities.
• You demonstrate strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• You have a continuous improvement mindset.
• You work with a strong sense of urgency.

What happens next?

Ordinarily, our Resourcing Team reviews and shortlists CVs. If shortlisted, you’ll speak to one of our Recruiters to discuss the role further. Our interview process usually consists of an initial team’s interview followed by an in-person interview. We’ll keep in touch throughout the process but if you have any questions, please get in touch at [e-mail].

What’s in it for you?

This is your chance to join a company that values expertise not only in rewards but also in real employee care. At JCB you don’t just get a competitive salary, 33 days’ holiday and access to our company pension—you can also use our onsite gym, in-house doctor and dentist. We have an ULEV car scheme available for our employees too. Then there’s the JCB Rewards Hub, which gives you discounts with high street retailers. Feel like biking to work? There’s our Cycle to Work Scheme.

We value diversity and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We’re committed to ensuring our recruitment process is fair and inclusive. If you face any accessibility challenges with your online application and require additional support, you have the option of speaking to a member of our Recruitment Team who can support you to complete an application in an alternative format. If you would benefit from this support, please email [e-mail], and a member of the team will be in touch.

Recruitment Agencies: JCB does not accept any speculative approaches to present candidates for advertised vacancies.