Welcome to Next Phase Recruitment! Please see below our current jobs that match your search criteria. For a broader job search please visit the home page or call us on 01403 216216 to discuss career options in other areas of Life Science and Technology.

Welcome to Next Phase Recruitment! Please use the above link to see our current jobs that match your search criteria. For a broader job search please visit the home page or call us on 01403 216216 to discuss career options in other areas of Life Science and Technology.

Procurement Manager (Purchasing Manager)

A Procurement Manager is responsible for ensuring that a company has a clear purchasing strategy when purchasing goods so that they meet budgetary and other operational requirements of the company and that this buying strategy is adhered to.  Some companies require suppliers to meet certain standards such as ISO accreditation and the Procurement Manager will be responsible for ensuring that suppliers meet these requirements from a Procurement perspective and an Ethical Compliance perspective.

Typical day to day tasks undertaken by a Procurement Manager might include producing tenders, forecasting future business needs (Opex or Capex) by liaising with internal colleagues, researching potential suppliers, supplier onboarding, developing and maintaining relationships with key suppliers, monitoring the timely delivery of products and services and ensuring all projects meet financial, legal and regulatory compliance.  If the Procurement Manager has a team of staff, she/he will also need to manage, motivate and support the team. 

Skills & Experience Required for a Career in Procurement

  • A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject such as science, business, project management or supply chain 
  • An additional professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply would be helpful
  • Good working knowledge of Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems, for either Capital Expenditure (Capex) or Operational Expenditure (OpEx) and strong general IT skills.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to communicate with influence colleagues, clients and suppliers
  • Good negotiating skills to achieve the best price from suppliers.
  • Understanding of OpEx / Capex budget management processes

Salary Levels/Career Progression

Although a degree and several years’ experience would typically be required for a Procurement or Purchasing manager position, there are opportunities for non-graduates to have a career in Procurement or Purchasing.   Typical entry level roles might include Buyer’s Assistant, Junior Buyer, Buyer, Finance Assistant or Procurement Assistant.

A Procurement Manager in a large organisation may have the opportunity to progress to roles such as Head Buyer, Head of Procurement, Director of Procurement and Purchasing or similar.  Salaries of a typical Procurement Manager start in the region of £45k upward dependent on the size of the organisation and location.

Maidenhead

Maidenhead is a large town in the county of Berkshire in the South-East region of England approximately 30 miles from London, 13 from Reading and 32 from Oxford.  Other major towns within easy reach of Maidenhead include Slough, Marlow, Henley on Thames and Windsor.  Maidenhead enjoys excellent transport connections, being located on the A4 and M4 and having regular trains services into London which means that many residents commute into London, Slough, Reading and other towns. 

The three main industries in Maidenhead and surrounding areas are pharmaceuticals & life science, visitor economy and digital technologies.  Pharmaceutical and Life Science companies in the Maidenhead area include Abbvie, GSK and Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Biogen Idec, Covance, Inventiv Health, Sanofi Pasteur and Seqirus. Maidenhead lies on the “Silicon Corridor” which is home to numerous digital and other technology companies Telecommunications, Cyber Security, Data Centres and Cloud Computing, Big Data companies include Adobe, Hitachi, 3, LexMark and Fujitsu.   The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is home to many famous attractions including Windsor Castle, Legoland, Royal Ascot and Eton College. It also boasts many high-quality hotels and four restaurants with 3 Michelin stars.  As a result, the visitor economy is a major employer in the area.

Famous people from Maidenhead:  Geraldine James, actress and Hugh Lofting, author and creator of Dr Dolittle.