Supply Chain Manager

An opportunity to shape and lead a procurement function from the ground upGood 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 callTranslating demand forecasts into smart stock decisions, so shelves stay full without tying up cash unnecessarilyKeeping a constant eye on where suppliers could let the company down, and having a plan ready before it happensPartnering with the design team to question whether parts, finishes or materials could be swapped for cheaper or quicker alternatives without hurting performanceActing as translator between what suppliers can realistically make and what gets specified on paper, turning shop-floor insight into formal change requestsScouting and bringing on board fresh suppliers who can support growth and give the company more negotiating powerThe Candidate: Supply Chain ManagerSeveral years' hands-on buying experience for complex, made-to-order products - machined components, circuit boards and smaller assemblies rather than mass-produced commoditiesComfortable working with ERP/MRPA natural people-leader who enjoys coaching a small team rather than just directing itSharp with numbers, and just as sharp at the negotiating tableHappy building relationships outside their own department, especially with technical colleaguesIf you're ready to make a procurement function your own, we'd love to hear from you!