Buying Manager

Role purpose

Buying and supplier management

• Develop buying plans aligned with business priorities, customer or operational needs, budgets, and product or service requirements.
• Identify, evaluate, and select suppliers based on quality, cost, reliability, service, capacity, and compliance.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, delivery schedules, payment terms, and service levels; build supplier relationships and resolve performance issues.
• Oversee purchase requests, purchase orders, confirmations, and delivery follow-up.

Planning, controls, and reporting

• Assess demand, stock levels, lead times, and replenishment needs with relevant teams; monitor market trends, supplier capacity, pricing, and product or service developments.
• Manage buying within approved budgets, track spending, analyze costs, and identify savings and value improvements.
• Ensure compliance with policies, contracts, regulations, quality standards, and ethical sourcing requirements; assess and mitigate supply and delivery risks.
• Prepare buying reports, forecasts, spend analyses, and supplier performance measures; improve sourcing and purchasing processes and procurement system use.

Collaboration and team leadership

• Partner with Finance, Operations, Merchandising, Planning, and other stakeholders to align requirements and resolve purchasing issues.
• Set team priorities, guide and develop buying team members, and promote accountability and consistent procurement practices.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, or a related field; equivalent education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Experience in buying, procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or a related commercial function, including supplier relationship management and commercial negotiation.
• Experience analyzing costs, budgets, demand, inventory, or supplier performance; experience producing purchasing reports and forecasts.
• Proficiency with procurement or purchasing systems and spreadsheet applications, including Microsoft Excel.
• People management or team leadership experience, or demonstrated ability to guide and develop colleagues.

Skills and competencies

• Strong negotiation, influencing, and supplier relationship management skills; commercial awareness and ability to balance quality, cost, availability, and business needs.
• Analytical and problem-solving ability, strong planning and organization, and effective written, verbal, and cross-functional communication.
• Sound judgment and discretion with commercial, supplier, and financial information; commitment to ethical procurement, compliance, and continuous improvement.