Supply Chain Manager

H Squared Talent; Reading; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

H Squared Talent in Reading is seeking a Supply Chain Manager to build and lead a procurement function from scratch, taking full ownership of buying for complex, made-to-order products. You will shape processes, lead a small team, and act as the main link between suppliers, colleagues company-wide and the technical design side.

You will translate demand into stock decisions, manage supplier risk, and work with the design team to explore cheaper or faster alternatives without compromising

Qualifications

• Several years' hands-on buying experience for complex, made-to-order products (machined components, circuit boards and assemblies).
• Comfortable working with ERP/MRP systems.
• Natural people-leader who enjoys coaching a small team.

Responsibilities

• Building and steering a small purchasing team, giving people clear direction and coaching development.
• Translating demand forecasts into smart stock decisions to keep shelves full and cash tied up minimally.
• Monitoring supplier risk and having a plan to mitigate issues before they arise.
• Partnering with design to explore cost/lead-time reductions without reducing performance.
• Translating supplier capabilities into clear change requests and shop-floor insights.
• Sourcing and onboarding suppliers to support growth and increase negotiating power.

Skills

People leadership

Procurement strategy

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Tools

ERP/MRP

Job description

• An opportunity to shape and lead a procurement function from the ground up
• Good benefits package and flexible hours

This isn't a procurement job where you keep the wheels turning - it's one where you get to rebuild them.

Working for a manufacturer of precision technical equipment, they design, engineer and manufacture high-spec products used by customers around the world. This is an opportunity to take full ownership of a procurement function - shaping its processes, its team and its relationship with the wider business - rather than stepping into someone else's system.

You'll report into senior leadership and take full charge of buying for a complex, made-to-order product range - leading a small team and becoming the go-to link between suppliers, colleagues company-wide, and the technical design side.

Here's what the role covers:

• Building and steering a small purchasing team, giving people clear direction, coaching their development, and stepping in when a problem needs a senior call
• Translating demand forecasts into smart stock decisions, so shelves stay full without tying up cash unnecessarily
• Keeping a constant eye on where suppliers could let the company down, and having a plan ready before it happens
• Partnering with the design team to question whether parts, finishes or materials could be swapped for cheaper or quicker alternatives without hurting performance
• Acting as translator between what suppliers can realistically make and what gets specified on paper, turning shop-floor insight into formal change requests
• Scouting and bringing on board fresh suppliers who can support growth and give the company more negotiating power

The Candidate: Supply Chain Manager

• Several years' hands-on buying experience for complex, made-to-order products - machined components, circuit boards and smaller assemblies rather than mass-produced commodities
• Comfortable working with ERP/MRP
• A natural people-leader who enjoys coaching a small team rather than just directing it
• Sharp with numbers, and just as sharp at the negotiating table
• Happy building relationships outside their own department, especially with technical colleagues