At Eakin Healthcare, we put patients at the heart of everything we do. We are a family‑owned global medical device company with a proud heritage of innovation and care. We deliver innovative solutions across Ostomy, Respiratory and Surgical therapies, along with our Respond home delivery service. Founded over 50 years ago, we now have a team of over 700 dedicated people across three UK manufacturing sites, 12 international sales and distribution centres and export to over 60 countries. We’ve been recognised as a Great Place to Work! And we’re proud to be named among the Best Workplaces in Healthcare and Best Workplaces for Women.
At Eakin Healthcare, we’re united by one mission: working together to improve lives – just like we’ve been doing for over five decades.
Why Join Us?
We’re good at what we do – come and join us and you can benefit from:
* Blended Working
* Bonus
* 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 28)
* Option to buy holiday days
* Wellbeing Programme
* Health Cash Plan
* Pension
* Life Assurance
* Enhanced Maternity/Paternity
* Cycle to Work Scheme
* Referral Scheme
* Long Service Awards
* Free Parking
About the Role
The Procurement Associate will report to the Site Procurement Lead, with direct material procurement activities. They will ensure that Eakin are sourcing materials and services at market competitive prices, working with key internal stakeholders and suppliers to deliver continuous improvements to service levels and supporting the development of Sage X‑3 within procurement.
Key Activities
* Support the Site Procurement Lead with day‑to‑day direct material and supplier management
* Work with Group Procurement on any business‑wide procurement projects
* Negotiate with suppliers to agree prices, quantities, delivery schedules and commercial terms
* Collect and analyse business spend data to help predict usage and support future negotiations
* Research new suppliers, products and supply market trends
* Agree with key internal stakeholders on quality standards and ensure all products meet those standards
* Collate internal customer feedback on supplier performance
* Work with the inventory management team to ensure all deliveries satisfy the assigned purchase orders and report any back‑ordered or missing products
* Deliver reports on procurement data and other agreed supplier metrics to senior management and other stakeholders
* Conduct supplier review meetings to discuss performance and continuous improvement opportunities
* Support site integration of the Sage X‑3 ERP system
Other Responsibilities
* Adhere to the company’s Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies in all activities and actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible
* Be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the company’s Health and Safety policy
* Adhere to the company’s Quality and Environmental policies
* Undertake other duties as reasonably required
Key Skills – Essential
* Clear and confident communication skills, both written and verbal
* A strong eye for detail and accuracy
* Practical Excel skills to work with data (e.g., filtering, basic formulas and data entry)
* Confidence working with data such as prices, quantities, lead times and supplier information
* A basic understanding of supply chain or purchasing concepts or a strong interest in developing this knowledge
* Good organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage deadlines in a busy environment
* A professional, approachable manner when working with internal colleagues and external suppliers
* Confidence using business systems, including ERP/MRP systems, and standard workplace IT
* A willingness to learn, take feedback and grow your procurement capability over time
Key Skills – Desirable
* Exposure to or an understanding of direct material procurement
* Awareness of commercial principles such as pricing, cost drivers or negotiation fundamentals
* Experience using an ERP system (e.g., Sage X3, SAP or similar)
* Experience in a manufacturing, medical device or other regulated environment
* Basic financial awareness, such as working with purchase orders, invoices or margins
* An interest in sustainability, ethical sourcing or supplier compliance
Key Working Relationships
Internal
* Ability to work cross‑functionally across all departments
External
* Suppliers
Additional Information
* Travel Requirements: limited with some key supplier visits and Group Procurement meetings
Competencies
Customer Focus – Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer‑centric solutions.
Action Oriented – Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Builds Networks – Effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.
Communicates Effectively – Developing and delivering multi‑mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
Instils Trust – Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
Demonstrates Self‑Awareness – Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.
Nimble Learning – Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
Being Resilient – Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
The closing date for applications is: Friday 22 May, 4pm
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this role earlier than planned.
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