Buyer – Engineering, Facilities & Manufacturing
About the Role
We are seeking a proactive and commercially minded Buyer to join our procurement team. In this role, you will be responsible for sourcing and procuring engineering, facilities, and manufacturing equipment spare parts and services, ensuring continuity of operations within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
You will play a key role in securing the best commercial terms with suppliers, including pricing, lead times, and payment conditions, while identifying and implementing cost reduction initiatives. This is a customer-facing position that requires regular interaction with maintenance, engineering, and technical teams to ensure operational requirements are met efficiently and effectively.
Key Responsibilities
- Respond promptly to purchase requisitions for both ad hoc (spot buy) and inventory-controlled items.
- Source and procure engineering, facilities, and manufacturing spare parts, consumables, and related services.
- Create and manage purchase orders within the company procurement system.
- Expedite supplier deliveries and maintain accurate delivery promise dates within system records.
- Monitor supplier performance to ensure on-time delivery and service excellence.
- Negotiate favourable commercial terms, including price, lead time, and payment conditions.
- Identify, develop, and implement cost-saving initiatives through supplier negotiations, approved product substitutions, and standardisation opportunities.
- Track and report cost savings through company systems and reporting processes.
- Resolve non-conforming deliveries, including returns, replacements, and supplier corrective actions.
- Investigate and resolve invoice discrepancies in a timely manner.
- Produce and maintain procurement reports and performance metrics on a weekly basis.
- Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, including maintenance and technical teams, to support operational objectives.
Skills, Experience & Qualifications
Essential
- Proven experience in a purchasing or procurement role within a demanding manufacturing environment where production continuity is critical.
- Strong knowledge of engineering, maintenance, MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations), and factory consumables products.
- Good understanding of engineering and industrial supply chains.
- Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills.
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify and deliver cost-saving opportunities.
- Experience of inventory management and stock control processes.
- Strong numerical, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficient in ERP, MRP, or procurement systems, along with Microsoft Office applications.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Desirable
- Demonstrated success in delivering measurable cost reductions through:
- Strategic supplier negotiations
- Approved product substitutions
- Product standardisation initiatives
- Supply chain optimisation
- Experience working closely with maintenance, engineering, or technical functions.
- Knowledge of procurement best practices and continuous improvement methodologies.
What Success Looks Like
The successful candidate will consistently ensure the timely supply of critical parts and services, maintain strong supplier relationships, achieve measurable cost savings, and support uninterrupted manufacturing operations through effective procurement and stakeholder collaboration.
For more information, please apply through the link provided for the attention of Ben Toynton. If you are interested in finding out more about the above role and would like to be considered for this or other suitable roles that we may have available for your skill set – please attach your CV via the link provided. Please submit your updated CV in Word Format. Osborne are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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