Buyer

BuyerLocation: Sudbury (Chilton Industrial Estate)Package: Up to £30,000 annual salary plus bonus & flexible benefits package including up to 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays & additional annual leave purchasing scheme)Hours: 37.5 hours, Monday to FridaySector: Packaging distribution  Protecting what matters, together We’re dedicated to protecting what matters most - our people, our customers, our communities, and the environment. At Macfarlane Packaging, our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continual improvement creates a collaborative, supportive, and friendly workplace where you can unpack a career that grows.   With over 75 years of history, we offer stability alongside continued growth. Our fast-paced, results-driven environment will challenge and stretch you, but also provide genuine opportunities for personal and professional development. Every colleague has the chance to influence our success and share in that achievement.  The Buyer Role As our Buyer within our local procurement team, you’ll play a key role in supporting the efficient sourcing and supply of products to meet customer demand, sales targets, and profitability objectives.   Working closely with internal teams and suppliers, you’ll ensure stock is sourced competitively, delivered on time, and meets required quality standards. You’ll also contribute to the ongoing development of the supplier base, helping to drive cost efficiencies, improve service levels, and support wider procurement strategy.   This is a varied and commercially focused role, offering exposure to supplier negotiation, stock management, and supply chain optimisation within a fast-paced distribution environment.  Key responsibilities 
Support the management and development of the Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) supplier base
Negotiate pricing, terms, and service levels with suppliers to ensure best value and performance
Process and manage purchase orders, ensuring timely and cost-effective procurement activity
Work closely with the Category Manager and Procurement Manager to align with wider procurement strategy
Source alternative suppliers where required to reduce risk and improve competitiveness
Monitor supplier performance, addressing any quality or service issues promptly
Support tender processes to secure favourable commercial terms
Develop awareness of stock holding costs and take action to minimise excess or obsolete stock
Collaborate with logistics and warehouse teams to optimise stock availability and flow
Build strong product knowledge across packaging solutions
Promote effective cross-functional working across departments and RDCs 

What you will bring You’ll ideally have experience within a fast-paced purchasing or procurement environment and be confident working with suppliers, managing priorities, and supporting commercial decision-making.   Essential:
Experience within a purchasing or procurement role
Strong communication and negotiation skills
Ability to prioritise workload within a fast-paced environment
Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office 

Desirable:
18+ months buying experience within a commercial environment
Experience working with multiple product lines and supplier bases
Familiarity with systems such as ERP/SAP, Microsoft Dynamics or similar
CIPS qualification (or interest in working towards this)
Experience of cross-functional working with sales, logistics, or operations 

What you will get  We provide a competitive basic salary alongside a range of bonus and incentive schemes. Our flexible benefits package can include: 
25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus bank holidays
Additional holiday purchasing scheme
Contributory pension scheme
Free parking at most locations
Annual volunteering day
Employee assistance programme
Extensive training and development opportunities
Employee discount scheme
Simply Health/Dental or BUPA options for qualifying roles
Enhanced HR policies and long service awards
EE mobile discount scheme
Candidate referral scheme

Your future with us At Macfarlane Group, you’ll have the opportunity to shape your own career. We actively support internal progression and provide structured development pathways, combining in-house expertise with external training partners.   You’ll also have the opportunity to pursue professional development through recognised bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), helping you to build a long-term career within procurement and supply chain.  Next Steps/How to Apply We are working swiftly to find the best applicants and hope to hold local interviews ASAP. Please click ‘apply’ to submit your up-to-date CV. All applications will be acknowledged. If you haven’t heard from us within two weeks, please assume your application was unsuccessful.   We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of your age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender expression, religion, or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.     No recruitment agencies please