Head of Buying - West Suffolk

Head of Buying jobs

As a departmental lead, Head of Buying is a role involving supporting, designing and implementing market-leading strategies.

With strong commercial acumen, this person will manage relationships with suppliers and oversee revenue and cost budgeting. Effective negotiation will ensure ROI and Head of Buyers will constantly be reviewing new sourcing opportunities as well as being involved in new product development. As a profit centre in its own right, the buying department is central to an organisation’s commercial gain.

A Head of Buying will have a multi-disciplinary role, looking after short, mid and long-term projects, chairing monthly divisional operational meetings and advising the business on key developments. The individual will typically work with other areas of the business to ensure individual brand objectives, as well as group objectives, are met.

The skills required

As an experienced manager, you will require at least 5 years’ proven track record of overseeing a team. Strong negotiation skills are mandatory, with experience of strategic purchasing.

An ability to lead, influence and coach others is vital for this role as well as the capability to work in a fast-moving, demanding environment that requires strong organisational skills. Highly numerate, IT literate and analytical, you will be someone who remains calm under pressure and be an adept communicator.

Flexibility is key as well as being self-driven, honest and capable of driving team member development. It’s important you are confident to challenge accepted ways of buying, and continually strive to innovate.

You will be an experienced project manager with excellent presentation skills and able to effectively report to all parts of the business, including company directors.

Head of Buying Jobs in West Suffolk

Established in 1889, West Suffolk was an English administrative county until it was combined with East Suffolk in 1974 as part of the Local Government Act 1972.

Although it's no longer an official county, the various settlements in what was once West Suffolk still offer plenty of options for job seekers looking for Head of Buying positions. Indeed, just some of the towns and villages include Bury St Edmunds - the former county town of West Suffolk - Sudbury, Newmarket, Haverhill and Mildenhall.

Historically, West Suffolk was known for producing cloth and during the Middle Ages, there was a thriving cloth trade in the region.

Brewing and malting have long been important industries for the region, while sugar beet processing has also given a boost to the local economy.

Greene King - the UK's largest British-owned brewery - was established in West Suffolk in 1799, while smaller names include the Old Cannon Brewery and Bartrums Brewery.

British Sugar was established in 1936 and it has been processing sugar beet for the Silver Spoon brand at a factory in Bury St Edmunds since 1925.

Other notable businesses include chocolate company Hadleigh Maid, biotech firm Genzyme and International Flavors and Fragrances.

Popular locations

Search for Head of Buying opportunities with Cast UK

As market leading recruitment specialists for professional level buying roles across the sectors, Cast UK is committed to building long-term relationships with our clients, enabling us to understand their business models and the roles they are recruiting.

We get to know the personalities and objectives of each candidate; understanding what motivates them, and the appropriate cultural fit for them. This attention to detail means that we are able to make excellent matches between applicants and employers, making placements that are lasting and mutually rewarding.

To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Head of Buying role for your business or find you a job as Head of Buying, contact one of our consultant team on 0161 825 0825

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