Role: Purchasing Team Leader – Sports, Festivals & Conferences
Based: Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Salary: Market competitive basic, bonus & benefits
Our client is a world leader in the Event Badges, ID Cards, Access Wristbands and accreditation software sector and has been servicing high profile international sporting events, festivals, conferences, colleges, and large security establishments for over 30 years.
These are exciting times for them and we are searching for a Purchasing Team Leader to join their team and work across two of its businesses. Its Purchasing team requires both dynamic and structured leadership in an ever evolving and complex world.
They source approximately 70% of their annual turnover and therefore, vendor management is key to its success – as is having processes that ensure accuracy, timely delivery and success, for the team and customers.
As they predominantly serve the events industry and timing is everything. A cool, calm and organised approach when under pressure and tight time constraints is essential, along with a positive attitude and sense of humour.
Primary Purpose:
- Leading the Purchasing function
- Vendor management
- Process improvement
- Purchase Order processing/ workload management
- Service & product quality/improvement
What to expect?
- You will be surrounded by a diverse group of enthusiastic, energetic and fun-loving people who work hard but balance this with ample opportunity to enjoy being part of a successful team in industries that foster a naturally social environment.
- The industries they serve are fast paced, dynamic and challenging at times, so a zest for meeting this head on is imperative. They support each other through leadership, great communication, teamwork and togetherness.
- They aspire to be a ‘great place’ to work and continue to invest in its people, surroundings and activities.
- If you feel you’re a great candidate for this role and they are a good fit for you we’d love to hear from you.
What will you do?
- Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of both internal & external customers
- Taking receipt of all requests for order placement and data management
- Compiling operational data and providing weekly/monthly reporting on performance at a local, functional and business level
- Monthly/quarterly expected volume data and planning for workload as needed
- Providing analysis and recommendations where targets have not been met
- Ensuring workload is evenly balanced across the team and recommending changes if needed
- Ensuring correct staffing (volume / skills) and managing recruitment and development of the team members
- Training new joiners to a high standard, bringing them into the team and monitoring performance during the training and probation period
- Supporting team performance by undertaking activity as required covering other team roles during absence or during peaks in demand
- Ensure effective and efficient execution of procurement services
- Act as escalation contact and trouble shooter in case of operational problems towards suppliers/vendors
- Execute, coordinate & optimize purchasing operations in order to deliver expected productivity and quality targets
- Initiate, lead and support improvement initiatives within purchasing
- Ensure timely and efficient problem solving
- Maintains vendor relationships to ensure the procurement of materials and services
- Liaise with Product Managers regarding new vendors/ products
- Purchase Order processing and management, including raising, reviewing, and tracking orders
- Responding to product quote requests
- Calculating custom quote requests from the Sales team, feeding that information into the main price list when required
- Raising any errors with suppliers and arranging remakes to be produced in required timeframes
- Engaged and proactive in our complaints management process – root cause and resolution
- Manage supplier dispatches to ensure orders are sent on time with the correct shipping option
- Inbound shipment tracking and tracing
- Any other tasks that arise as necessary in support of the company’s aims and needs
What we’d need from you:
- 5 years in procurement, including at least 3 years in supervisory function
- Good understanding of the operational processes
- Knowledge of SAGE – advantageous, but not essential
- Due to extreme seasonality of our business, flexibility and additional hours would be required at times
- At least 3 years of experience in working on similar position
- Reporting & analysis skills
- Patient and flexible, organized and very positive attitude
- Strong customer focus and team focus
- Eager to improve processes with the team support
- While not customer-facing, this key role directly impacts on a customer’s experience
Note: Overseas based candidates or anyone requiring work sponsored visas will not be considered
