Procurement Manager
Be among the first 25 applicants. The Procurement team is responsible for ensuring a clear strategy when purchasing goods and services. Our indirect purchasing team has a growing responsibility to ensure goods and services are procured efficiently, achieving the best value for the company.
This role supports the IT and Marketing departments with both non‑tendered spend and tenders for contracts worth over £100k per year. It requires a passion for purchasing, the ability to work independently with stakeholders and suppliers, strong networking and communication skills, and a solid understanding of the purchasing process (tender, negotiation and award) and strategic sourcing (market data, supply chain, cost control). Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a high‑performing team is essential.
Responsibilities
* Develop and implement sourcing and category plans aligned to business goals and objectives, delivering cost leadership, innovation, service excellence and process/product improvement.
* Supplier evaluation, selection and contract development.
* Implement initiatives through effective programme and project management.
* Provide support and advice in the sourcing of new goods/services for the wider business.
* Ensure compliance to procurement policies and procedures.
* Capture food safety and quality criteria within any procurement process that may pose risk to food or the food manufacturing process and provide responses to the technical team.
* Ensure ethical and sustainable responsibilities are addressed in the supplier selection process.
Essential
* Proven strategic procurement experience.
* Ability to build strong working relationships with stakeholders.
* Impactful and adaptable negotiator capable of influencing decision makers, suppliers and stakeholders.
* Competent in using digital procurement tools.
* Ability to develop robust contracts and negotiate contract terms.
* Innovative thinker who can generate and deliver value‑added procurement solutions that positively affect business performance.
* Highly analytical with the ability to measure and provide meaningful data insights.
* Effective and adaptable communicator with strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills.
* Resilient and persistent with the ability to act at pace and influence decisions.
* Strong personal organisation skills capable of initiating, prioritising and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
Desirable
* Previous experience purchasing indirect categories in IT and/or marketing.
* Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline.
* Valid UK driving licence.
* CIPM membership or additional relevant postgraduate qualification.
Personal Qualities
* Persuading & Influencing – Makes a strong personal impression, gains clear agreement and commitment, promotes ideas on behalf of self or others.
* Planning & Organising – Sets clearly defined objectives, plans activities and projects in advance, manages time effectively, identifies and organises resources, monitors performance against deadlines, and solves problems to deliver completion.
* Entrepreneurial & Commercial Thinking – Keeps up to date with competitor information and market trends, identifies business opportunities, demonstrates financial awareness, controls costs and thinks in terms of profit, loss and added value.
* Analysing – Analyses numerical and verbal data, probes for further information, makes rational judgments, and produces workable solutions.
* Deciding and Initiating Action – Makes prompt and clear decisions, takes responsibility, initiates action and works under own direction.
* Competitive salary – Accredited Living Wage employer.
* 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
* Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year.
* Discretionary annual bonus scheme.
* Pension scheme – employer matched contributions up to 4 %.
* Life assurance scheme worth at least 1× annual salary.
* Subsidised canteen.
* Free parking.
* Free turkey or voucher at Christmas.
* apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts.
About apetito
apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors, serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings. Our meals are expertly crafted by dieticians and chefs, then frozen to lock in the goodness. Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier, cooking and delivering over 330 different ready meals across the UK.
We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.
Diversity & Inclusion
We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff, and we’re on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.
Senioritiy Level
Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type
Full‑time
Job Function
Purchasing and Supply Chain
Industry: Food and Beverage Manufacturing
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