GROUP PROCUREMENT MANAGER

T H White has served customers for almost two centuries. We are a diverse, privately owned Group with a proud heritage. Across the UK, our businesses provide machinery, equipment and technical expertise. We work across agriculture, construction, groundcare, lorry cranes, dairy, engineering projects and technical services.

Following continued growth and investment, we are creating a brand-new Group Procurement Manager role to establish and implement a strategic, consistent and commercially focused approach to procurement.

This is an opportunity to build the procurement function rather than inherit one.

You will help develop the procurement strategy, implement effective processes and controls, and create greater visibility of purchasing activity across the Group. You’ll have a clear focus on identifying cost savings, improving commercial terms, and delivering greater value from Group spend.

This opportunity is also more complex than simply consolidating suppliers or negotiating lower prices. The Group Procurement Manager will work across our diverse engineering and machinery Group, where materials, components, specifications and operational requirements can vary considerably. You will need the technical and commercial judgement to identify what can be aligned to create greater buying power and what cannot.

This is a national role with flexibility around location, reflecting the Group’s businesses and operations across the UK. 

Hours:

Monday- Friday 39 hours per week.

Flexibility required to work around business needs.

Key Duties will Include:

Initially, a significant part of your focus will be Palfinger UK, supporting a technically driven business where your strategic and tactical approach to purchasing, materials and supplier relationships will make a meaningful difference. You will then help develop the wider Group procurement approach across T H White.

A key part of the role will be recognising where procurement synergy and economies of scale can be achieved. This may involve bringing common categories of spend together, improving sourcing arrangements or rationalising suppliers. Equally, you will need to understand where technical specifications, materials, applications or operational requirements mean a specialist approach remains necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement procurement strategies that support Group objectives, business priorities and budget requirements.
• Analyse purchasing activity and spend to identify opportunities for improved commercial control, cost savings and value improvement.
• Identify opportunities for procurement synergy and economies of scale across divisions where appropriate.
• Source, evaluate and select suppliers, considering quality, cost, service, compliance and supply risk.
• Lead quotation, tendering and contract negotiation processes to secure favourable commercial terms.
• Build strong supplier relationships and manage supplier performance, including service, delivery, quality issues and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with stakeholders across the Group to understand demand, specifications, technical requirements and business priorities.
• Monitor market trends, pricing movements and supply risks to support informed commercial decision-making.
• Identify appropriate opportunities for supplier rationalisation and improved sourcing arrangements to deliver commercial or operational benefits.
• Establish and maintain appropriate procurement processes, policies, controls and records in line with company and regulatory requirements.

The Ideal Applicant:

You will be an experienced procurement professional with the commercial credibility and judgement to operate across a diverse, multi-site Group.

Experience within an engineering, industrial, manufacturing or technical environment is preferred.

You should understand the practical complexities of procuring materials and components. You will be able to assess opportunities beyond headline price, considering factors such as specification, application, quality, reliability, service and supply risk.

Importantly, you will understand the difference between simply combining spend and creating a procurement strategy that works. You will be able to identify where common requirements can be aligned and where differences across products, materials or operations require a different approach.

You will bring:

• Proven experience in a senior procurement role holding CIPS qualification.
• Experience of supplier selection, tendering and commercial contract negotiation.
• Experience of managing spend and identifying cost-saving or value-improvement opportunities.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and supplier relationship management skills.
• Commercial awareness and sound financial judgement.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• The confidence to work effectively with stakeholders across different businesses and functions.

Benefits:

• Senior salary, based on experience
• Hybrid working options
• Company Car / Allowance
• Private Healthcare
• Annual pay reviews
• 23.5 days holiday, rising to 26.5 days with service, plus Bank Holidays
• Competitive company pension scheme offering a combined total of 12.5% when you contribute (subject to qualifying period)
• Company Life Assurance cover, up to 5 times salary with service
• Employee Share Plan