Senior Commodity Buyer

Location: Marden

Senior Commodity Buyer
Marden
£40 to £50k + Bens

Do you have Manufacturing experience?
Do you have SAP experience/knowledge?

- Join a global leader in design and manufacturing
- Contribute to accelerating society's transition to a cleaner, healthier environment
- Great company culture with a focus on employee wellbeing and long service awards

Our client, a well-established company based on the outskirts of Maidstone, Kent, is seeking an experienced Commodity Buyer / Senior Buyer to join their team. As a global leader in design and manufacturing, they are committed to accelerating society's transition to a cleaner, healthier world!

Senior Commodity Buyer

Role Overview

The Commodity Buyer is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing assigned commodity categories to ensure consistent supply, cost competitiveness, and strong supplier performance. The role supports production requirements while driving cost savings, quality improvements, and long-term supplier relationships.

Key Responsibilities
- Procurement & Sourcing
- Manage the end-to-end procurement process for assigned commodities
- Source new suppliers and evaluate alternative materials or components to reduce cost and improve supply continuity
- Conduct market research to track pricing trends, supply risks, and global commodity movements
- Review RFQs, negotiate pricing, and secure best-value agreements aligned with business objectives

Supplier Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with existing suppliers
- Monitor supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, and compliance
- Conduct supplier reviews, audits, and performance improvement activities
- Resolve supply issues and escalate risks when required

Cost & Contract Management
- Support cost-saving and value-engineering initiatives while ensuring material availability
- Prepare and present cost analysis, forecasts, and supplier proposals
- Negotiate commercial terms, long-term agreements, and service-level expectations

Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Planning teams
- Support new product development by sourcing appropriate materials and components
- Ensure procurement decisions align with manufacturing efficiency and company strategy

Data, Systems & Compliance
- Maintain accurate procurement data within ERP/MRP systems
- Ensure compliance with company policies, quality standards, and ethical sourcing practices
- Track commodity KPIs and produce reports as required

Skills & Experience

Essential:
- Proven experience in procurement, buying, or supply chain roles (manufacturing or engineering preferred)
- Strong negotiation and supplier management skills
- Ability to analyse data, interpret market trends, and make cost-effective decisions
- Experience using ERP/MRP/SAP systems and Microsoft Excel
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Desirable:
- CIPS qualification or working towards
- Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies
- Experience managing global suppliers or complex commodity categories

Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Relationship building
- Attention to detail
- Adaptability and resilience
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail
- Excellent sales and negotiation skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Well-organised with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Good administrative skills and proficiency in relevant software

At KHR we take care to ensure that you are represented as well as possible so it is worth checking your CV for layout, spelling and grammar as well as making sure it is up to date before you submit. If you feel you need to highlight particular qualifications, skills or relevant experience with regards to a specific role then please add a cover letter or a preface page.

This does not need to be formatted in the same manner. In addition, if your CV is heavy with graphics etc, please could you also submit a "clean" copy in Word. Thank you.

KH Recruitment Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy. KHR - Recruitment Specialists is a trading name of KH Recruitment Ltd Keep in touch with us online for job alerts, industry updates and market