Head of Purchasing

Head of Purchasing
Salary: £ DOE
Location: County Durham

A well-established, fast-paced business is looking to appoint an experienced Head of Purchasing to lead its procurement function during a period of continued high growth and transformation.
This is a senior, hands-on role with full ownership of purchasing strategy, supplier relationships and cost performance, playing a critical part in ensuring product availability and long-term supplier resilience. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape purchasing strategy, build long-term supplier partnerships and make a visible contribution to commercial performance.

The Role
As Head of Purchasing, you will take responsibility for the end-to-end purchasing function across finished goods and key supply categories. You’ll balance strategic sourcing with day-to-day operational delivery, ensuring continuity of supply whilst driving commercial value.
Key areas of focus will include:

• Developing and delivering a robust purchasing and sourcing strategy aligned to wider commercial and supply chain objectives
• Leading supplier selection, tendering and negotiation to secure competitive pricing and service levels
• Managing supplier performance, risk and compliance
• Owning purchasing budgets, cost price changes and inflationary pressures
• Driving cost-saving initiatives and value creation opportunities
• Working closely with the wider supply chain team including planning, operations and commercial teams to support demand planning and S&OP
• Supporting new product development and launches from a procurement perspective
• Leading, developing and mentoring the already well-established purchasing team

• Strong commercial and negotiation capability
• Proven experience managing suppliers, contracts and cost models
• A data-led approach to decision-making and performance improvement
• The ability to influence senior stakeholders across the business
• Experience managing risk, compliance and supply continuity
• A collaborative leadership style with a track record of developing teams and leading from the front
• A degree in supply chain, procurement or a related discipline is preferred, with professional procurement qualifications (e.g. CIPS) highly desirable.