Assistant Buyer

Assistant Buyer
Location: Sudbury
Package: Basic Salary up to £23,000 (dependent on experience) plus bonus & flexible benefits package, with up to 27 days holiday (Plus additional annual leave purchasing scheme)
Sector: Packaging distribution

The Company
We, the UK’s largest packaging distributor have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Buyer to join our procurement team based in Sudbury. We are a committed equal opportunities employer that champions ‘dignity in the workplace’. Our focus is to provide customers with fully integrated and innovative packaging solutions, augmented by outstanding customer service. Our procurement functionality is a vital part of our solution offering and we continually invest in the professional development of our team including professional accredited training.

The Assistant Buyer Role
Working as a member of our local procurement team, your role will support the site at which you are based whilst upholding the company wide National procurement strategy.
Within this role you will gain varied exposure to wider procurement tasks and scenarios whilst actively focusing on ensuring that correct stock/inventory levels are ordered and held for customers.

Assistant Buyer Key Duties
Reporting to the Senior Buyer, the Assistant Buyer role will require the following activity…

• Directly supporting the local team of buyers with day-to-day procurement activity
• To purchase standard and non-standard stock items, maintaining cost effective stock levels
• Develop a full understanding of the total supply chain function
• Actively seek to reduce stock holding and material costs
• To ensure that purchasing transactions are carried out in the timeliest and cost-effective manner
• Administer purchase orders and all other associated administration
• Liaise with existing suppliers and source alternative suppliers when necessary
• Develop awareness of the profit implication of stock holding costs, including redundant and damaged stock
• Develop and maintain a good knowledge of all packaging solutions

Do you have the correct profile
We certainly welcome your application if you have gained experience of working within a commercial environment and can demonstrate transferable skills including negotiation, communication and customer service. Please note no prior experience within procurement or purchasing is necessary as full training and a clear pathway for development will be provided. As a minimum requirement, we do also seek strong computer literacy (MS Office to include Excel spreadsheets) & strong attention to detail. You will also ideally have some previous experience of working within a small office-based team.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of your age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.

Our Benefits
We provide a competitive basic starting salary and operate a range of rewarding bonus/incentive schemes. Our flexible employee benefits can include: –

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public/bank holidays
• Contributory pension scheme
• Free parking at many of our site locations
• Range of company cars or cash allowance (including electric) for qualifying roles
• Employee assistance program to support & advise with well-being & any issues
• Extensive range of training/development & potential progression opportunities
• Employee discount scheme (discounts on several major retail/leisure brands)
• Annual paid Volunteering Day
• Simply Health/Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles
• Tax free childcare (TFC) scheme
• Enhanced maternity & paternity pay
• Long service awards (5-40 years)
• Charitable giving options
• Financial support with eye-tests/purchasing glasses (DSE users only)
• O2 Mobile discount scheme (up to 25% off)

Your future with us
Here at Macfarlane Group, you truly have the potential to shape your own future and set your own ambitions. We are a large group company where internal promotion and mobility is a key feature of our success. Through tailored career plans, we provide a wide range of structure training & development pathways, utilizing both inhouse expertise to share knowledge and the best-in-class external training partners. There is potential access to management & leadership development, and we work closely with recognized, accredited bodies including the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) & the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS); so there really are no limits to where your journey within Macfarlane Group may take you long term.

How to apply/next steps
The successful applicant will join us in January 2024, but we are keen to meet with people now and in the coming weeks to ensure we have identified the best available individuals at interview. Please note that Macfarlane Group supports ‘hybrid working’ where possible and we often conduct our first stage interviews via video. To make an application please simply click ‘apply’ ensuring that your CV is up to date and relevant.

All applications will be acknowledged, shortlisted applicants normally hearing from us within a week or two. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified at the end of our process, although if you haven’t heard from us within 2-3 weeks of applying, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE