To establish and run a professional, well-governed procurement function that supports the Engineering department worldwide, secures the best commercial outcomes for the group, ensures suppliers are properly vetted and monitored, and lays the foundations for a larger procurement team as the function grows.
Key Responsibilities
1. Supplier Pricing & Engineering Support
- Reach out to suppliers and obtain accurate, timely pricing when requested by the Engineering department
- Turn engineering requirements around quickly so that live proposals and projects are not held up
- Apply sound technical understanding to make like-for-like comparisons of products and offers (deep technical assessment will be supported by the Engineering team, but you should be able to hold your own in a technical conversation)
- Challenge specifications and suggest alternatives where they offer better value without compromising quality
2. Supplier Database & Quote Management
- Build and maintain an accurate, well-structured database of suppliers, quotations and pricing history
- Keep records current so that up-to-date pricing and supplier information is always available to the wider business
- Support internal tools and workflows (e.g. our SharePoint-based procurement tracking) and improve them over time
3. Supplier Due Diligence & Onboarding
- Own supplier onboarding end to end, with support from Finance, ensuring appropriate due diligence is completed before a supplier is engaged
- Set up and run a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) process covering areas such as environmental credentials, anti money laundering, modern slavery, financial stability and insurances
- Maintain records of checks and approvals so that the group can demonstrate proper diligence at any time
4. Stock Optimisation & Reordering
- Optimise stock levels across the business, setting minimum stock levels and reorder points
- Manage reordering with suppliers to avoid both shortages and excess stock, balancing availability against working capital
- Work with Engineering and Operations to forecast demand and plan purchasing accordingly
5. Group & Multi-Country Procurement
- Support the Board in optimising procurement across multiple countries (UK, UAE, India and Ireland), working towards coverage of all categories over time
- Identify opportunities to consolidate spend, standardise suppliers and unlock group-wide savings
- Bring visibility and consistency to how the group buys across regions
6. Negotiation & Commercial Terms
- Negotiate with suppliers to secure favourable pricing, payment terms, lead times and warranties
- Build strong, long-term supplier relationships that benefit the group commercially and operationally
- Understand and manage the total cost of ownership, not just headline price
7. Supplier Performance Monitoring
- Monitor supplier performance on quality, delivery, price and responsiveness
- Address underperformance constructively and maintain a healthy, reliable supply base
- Keep the business informed of supply risks and recommend mitigations
8. Function Development & Governance
- Help define and document procurement policies, processes and controls as the function matures
- Support the Board with reporting and insight on spend, savings and supplier performance
- As the function grows, help build, mentor and eventually lead a wider procurement team
Required Skills & Experience
- A degree (essential)
- Solid procurement experience, ideally within the water treatment industry; failing that, within engineering, manufacturing or construction
- Demonstrable experience of international procurement and negotiating with overseas suppliers (essential)
- Sufficient technical understanding to compare products and offers on a like-for-like basis
- Strong negotiation skills with a track record of securing favourable pricing and terms
- Experience of supplier due diligence and onboarding, including PQQ or equivalent vetting processes
- Highly organised and detail-oriented, comfortable owning and maintaining accurate data and records
- Confident communicator with excellent written and spoken English (essential)
- Good working knowledge of Excel and comfortable with digital tools and systems
- Self-starter able to work with autonomy across time zones and build a function from the ground up
Nice to Have
- Experience with Sage and/or Microsoft Dynamics
- Exposure to the water treatment sector or related process/mechanical equipment
- Experience of stock and inventory optimisation and reorder-point planning
- Prior experience establishing or growing a procurement function
What You'll Get
- The chance to build and shape the group's procurement function from the outset
- A clear progression path towards Head of Procurement and leadership of a growing team
- Direct visibility with, and support from, the UK Board
- Broad exposure across multiple countries, categories and disciplines
- The opportunity to make a measurable commercial impact in a fast-growing international business