Location: Morecambe (Hybrid arrangement)
Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 pa + 15% Bonus + Private Medical + Attractive Pension + 25 Days Holiday
The Opportunity
This is a brand-new position within an established manufacturing business entering an exciting new phase of growth, with ambitious plans to double in size over the next two years.
We are looking for an experienced Supply Chain Manager who can come in, take ownership and make a genuine commercial difference.
This is not a role where you will simply inherit an established process and keep it ticking over. There is significant opportunity to improve the way the business buys, stores, moves and supplies product – with a number of immediate quick wins and cost-saving opportunities, alongside the chance to develop the longer-term supply chain and logistics strategy required to support substantial growth.
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will have real visibility and influence across the business, with the opportunity to reduce cost, improve supplier performance, optimise inventory and logistics and ultimately increase profitability and margin.
For someone who enjoys identifying inefficiencies, negotiating better commercial arrangements and turning improvement opportunities into measurable results, this is an opportunity to make a very visible impact.
The Role
You will take ownership of the supply chain from supplier through warehousing and logistics to the end customer, leading both immediate operational improvements and the longer-term strategy required as the business scales.
Key responsibilities will include:
* Lead and develop the overall supply chain function, setting clear direction and standards.
* Identify and deliver cost-reduction opportunities and margin improvements across purchasing, logistics, warehousing and supply.
* Review, consolidate and optimise the existing global supplier base.
* Drive supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery and continuity of supply.
* Lead commercial negotiations, supplier contracts and cost-reduction initiatives.
* Identify the immediate "low-hanging fruit" and quick wins that can deliver early financial and operational benefits.
* Manage supplier-transfer and manufacturing-offshoring projects from initial business case through to implementation.
* Develop the longer-term strategy covering international logistics, warehousing and 3PL partnerships.
* Improve product availability and delivery performance while maintaining the right balance between inventory, service and cost.
* Work closely with Production, Planning and Sales to align supply with customer demand.
* Lead and develop a team covering customer service, logistics coordination and group buying.
* Support the implementation of a new SAP ERP system, ensuring robust supply-chain processes and data are established from the outset.
About You
We are looking for someone with a strong commercial mindset who can see opportunities for improvement and has the drive and credibility to make change happen.
Ideally, you will have:
* Proven Supply Chain Management / Supply Chain Leadership experience within manufacturing.
* Strong experience of supplier management, purchasing and commercial negotiation.
* Experience dealing with international suppliers and multi-site supply chains.
* A track record of reducing cost, consolidating suppliers and improving supplier performance.
* Experience transferring products or manufacturing between suppliers/sites.
* Good knowledge of warehousing, 3PL and international logistics.
* Strong commercial awareness with an ability to understand how supply-chain decisions impact profitability and margin.
* ERP/MRP experience, with SAP highly desirable.
* Strong stakeholder-management skills and the confidence to challenge existing ways of working.
* A continuous-improvement mentality – someone who naturally asks, "How can we do this better, quicker or more cost effectively?"
* Experience within a regulated or quality-critical manufacturing environment would be advantageous.
Why Join?
This is a rare opportunity to join a business at a point where supply chain will play a major part in its next stage of growth.
You will have:
* A newly created role rather than stepping into somebody else's established structure.
* Direct access to the Managing Director and senior leadership team.
* Genuine freedom to review existing processes and implement change.
* Plenty of immediate opportunities to deliver quick wins and measurable savings.
* The opportunity to create a longer-term supply-chain strategy capable of supporting a business aiming to double in size within two years.
* Real scope to influence cost, margin, service levels and profitability.
* The chance to put your own stamp on a function that will become increasingly important as the company grows.
If you are an experienced Supply Chain Manager who enjoys driving change, reducing cost, improving margin and building a function capable of supporting growth, we would be very interested in speaking with you
Salary description
£50000.00 - £55000.00 per year