Buyer

Lincat – Buyer
About Us
Lincat is a thriving manufacturing business, one of the world's leading names in commercial catering equipment with over 50 years’ experience delivering world-class innovation and product quality to its extensive customer base. Our company manufactures 50,000 products each year and exports to over 80 countries. We have great products, great people and great customers.
About the Role
We are looking for a Buyer to join our Procurement team at Lincat. The successful candidate will be responsible for sourcing goods and services, fit for purpose, both in the UK and globally, whilst developing measures for cost savings in line with the business plan. Develop Category Strategies to maximise opportunities for the business and supply base.
Hours of work
This role is based on 37.5 hours per week, working Monday to Friday.
Key Areas of Responsibility:
Negotiation and maintenance of supply agreements
* Use skilled negotiation techniques, product and market knowledge to confidently negotiate the best supply agreements and achieve significant cost reductions.
* Continuously and proactively seek cost reductions/cost avoidance from existing suppliers and components to achieve the PPV budget and Business Plan.
Ensure that the system is updated where required with the necessary detail
* Update the system with information such as prices, minimum order quantities, lead-times and requirements not detailed in the specification, passing details to the Purchasing Administrator to input where appropriate.
* Ensure that there are appropriate links to relevant Lincat drawings and details.
Source new components for new product development
* Identify suitable suppliers and manage tender processes, ensuring that there is sufficient understanding of requirements by all parties involved, in order to achieve the best and most cost-effective solutions and ensure all NCRs are covered.
* Make informed decisions as to which suppliers to select for sampling, arrange for prototype development and testing where required and work closely with suppliers and the technical department to gain approval for use and put commercial agreements in place within the required timescales.
* Ensure that the costings of products and components make sufficient profit margins working with personnel from other departments such as Engineering. Ensure where cost increases are unavoidable, the total cost of the product is forwarded to the relevant departments.
Appraisal of suppliers’ ability to provide the required service/components
* Manage the appraisal of new suppliers appropriately according to the complexity of the product, ensuring that facilities are visited where appropriate and that the required credit checks, quality processes and production workflow checks are properly carried out.
* Arrange and manage meetings with suppliers and with technical/quality staff where required to build relationships and enhance understanding of requirements.
Responsibility for supplier performance with regard to price, quantity, quality, time and place
* Monitor supplier performance, ensuring that suppliers continue to deliver to the agreed levels of cost and quality, in line with the Quality Improvement Engineer
* Supplier relationship management
Develop and maintain product and market knowledge and contacts
* Proactively develop the necessary market knowledge and contacts for new products and services by selectively speaking with and visiting suppliers/exhibitions to learn about new manufacturing processes and products.
* Produce key category strategies on an annual basis to maximise opportunities and identify risks
* Identify and manage supply chain risks, including single source dependency, geopolitical exposure and material availability
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
* Experience of contract management and supplier management in a manufacturing environment with a wide range of raw materials.
* Category management
* Develop good product knowledge and understanding in order to communicate confidently and knowledgeably with technical staff and suppliers.
* The ability to negotiate skilfully and confidently to achieve price reductions.
* Computer literate, specifically Microsoft Office, able to use spreadsheet formulae and calculations and to produce accurate and articulate meeting and visit reports, tender documents and commercial correspondence.
* Excellent organisation and time management skills in order to effectively manage multiple projects and work to tight deadlines.
* Ability and willingness to travel to supplier sites when necessary, which may include foreign travel and working outside standard office hours.
* Flexible in approach to work and willing to work on any product as required.
* Experience of the commercial catering market or the wider hospitality industry. (Desirable)
* Good level of numeracy and literacy.
* Microsoft Office
* Some formal business/purchasing qualification (e.g. NVQ, Business Studies or CIPS) is desirable but not essential