Assistant Buyer

Assistant Buyer
Location: Plymouth
Package: Basic salary £27,00 - £30,000 dependent on experience plus bonus & flexible benefits package including up to 27 days holiday (Plus additional annual leave purchasing scheme)
Sector: Packaging distribution
 
 
 
Protecting what matters, together
We’re dedicated to protecting what matters most - our people, our customers, our communities and the environment. At Macfarlane Packaging, our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continual improvement creates a highly collaborative, supportive and friendly workplace where you can unpack a career that grows.
 
With history stretching back over 75 years, we offer stability whilst always striving for continual growth. Our fast-paced, results-driven approach will challenge and often stretch you, but it will also give you opportunities for personal and professional development. Every colleague has the chance to directly influence our success, leading to real job satisfaction and achievement, at all stages of your career.
 
We provide competitive pay and personalised incentives, alongside adaptable benefits to make your rewards package go further. And additionally, the way we work prioritises work-life balance and flexibility, empowering our colleagues to manage what is most important to them. Our business values commitment, diligence, teamwork, adaptability and a thirst for learning… so if this sounds like you, come and join us to help drive change that enables businesses to plan for a better future.
 
The Assistant Buyer Role  
Working as a member of our local procurement team, the Assistant Buyer role will support the site at which you are based whilst upholding the company wide National procurement strategy. This position is integral to the overall success of the business, as you will be instrumental in helping to coordinate the management and development of the regional supplier base.
 
Please note, training for this role will take place at our Exeter site (expenses will be covered). 
 
Assistant Buyer Key Duties

  • Managing a large portfolio of suppliers
  • Sourcing and negotiating with existing suppliers, challenging prices where relevant
  • Ensuring supplies adhere to quality, service and best practise initiatives
  • Managing performance of the supplier base
  • Assisting with tendering activity, product inquiries, and ad-hoc project work
  • Purchasing of standard and non-standard stock items
  • Carrying out supplier benchmarking activities
  • Reporting and statistical analysis
  • Upholding procurement strategy
  • Maximising profitability and minimising risk to the Business
  • Undertaking stock control and administration activities

Do you have the correct profile?
We welcome your application provided that you have a minimum of 1-2 years commercial buying experience. That way, we are hopeful that you will already have gained exposure to the majority of key duties mentioned above. Ours is a fairly fast-paced sales led distribution business, so although identical experience isn’t essential, any obvious synergy would be useful. You will naturally have strong communication and negotiation skills with the ability to at times, perform under pressure and fulfil exacting timeframes. Excellent interpersonal skills are necessary to work effectively with a wide range of colleagues and departments. You may have already gained CIPS accreditation via previous studies but if not, we do as a business offer a pathway to do so.
 
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of your age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.
 
Our Benefits
We provide a competitive basic starting salary and operate a range of rewarding bonus/incentive schemes. Our flexible employee benefits package can include: -

  • 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public/bank holidays
  • Additional Holiday purchasing scheme (run annually)
  • Contributory pension scheme
  • Free parking at the majority of our site locations
  • Annual (company paid) volunteering day
  • Range of company cars or cash allowance (including hybrid/electric) for qualifying job roles
  • Employee assistance program to support & advise with well-being & any issues
  • Extensive range of training/development & potential progression opportunities
  • Employee discount scheme (discounts on several major retail/leisure brands)
  • Simply Health/Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles
  • Enhanced HR policies relating to various employee rights & entitlements
  • Long service awards (5-40 years)
  • Charitable giving options
  • Financial support with eye-tests/purchasing glasses (DSE users only)
  • O2 Mobile discount scheme (up to 25% off)
  • Candidate referral scheme (awards £750 for referring successful applicants to Macfarlane job vacancies) 

Your future with us
Here at Macfarlane Group, you truly have the potential to shape your own future and set your own ambitions. We are a large group company where internal promotion and mobility is a key feature of our success. Through tailored career plans, we provide a wide range of structure training & development pathways, utilizing both inhouse expertise to share knowledge and the best-in-class external training partners. There is potential access to management & leadership development, and we work closely with recognized, accredited bodies including the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) & the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS); so there really are no limits to where your journey within Macfarlane Group may take you long term.
 
How to apply/next steps
This is an urgent appointment whereby we will be working to identify and review the very best of applicants swiftly in the hope of selecting the successful candidate to commence with us ASAP. Please note that Macfarlane Group supports ‘hybrid working’ where possible and we often conduct our first stage interviews via video. To make an application please simply click ‘apply’ ensuring that your CV is up to date and relevant.
 
All applications will be acknowledged, shortlisted applicants normally hearing from us within a week or two. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified at the end of our process, although if you haven’t heard from us within 2-3 weeks of applying, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.
 
 
NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE
Advertiser
Macfarlane Group UK Ltd
Reference
MCF1299
Employer
Macfarlane Group UK Ltd
Network Category
Contract Type
Industry Sector
Town
Plymouth
Salary and benefits
£27000.00 - £30000.00 Per Annum Basic salary plus bonus and benefits
View Employer