Commodity Lead jobs
To get the most value out of a procurement operation, a commodity lead is often employed to deal directly with suppliers on behalf of the purchasing company. They will have a multitude of specific roles, but in essence they will be expected to keep costs as low as possible while maintaining the expected level of supply as per the business’s production requirements.
The commodity lead will need to keep a keen eye on the industry as a whole, checking out prices from a range of suppliers as a matter of routine. Identifying savings elsewhere will put the company in a stronger negotiating position with existing suppliers, creating a win-win situation as long as the competitor can meet delivery expectations. However a well negotiated long-term deal that saves future time and expense of seeking out new suppliers is far preferable.
Of course, it’s not all about saving money in simple terms; a good deal is about much more than that. Supplier might charge more for reasons that could prove highly advantageous to your own business, that save you more than they cost the supplier (perhaps because of their buying power in the sector, for example). So delving deep into bids from potential suppliers and modelling their propositions against your own company’s projections will form a key part of the job.
The skills required
The ideal commodity lead will have had some experience in procurement and will know their way around a negotiating table, representing their employer. They might well accompany superiors to such negotiations, where their in-depth knowledge of the particular deals in question will be used to strengthen the company’s position. Because negotiations are often fast-paced, a good grasp of maths, particularly mental arithmetic, will be vital for instinctively taking the temperature of a deal in progress.
Great communication skills and the ability to easily work in a team will be essential, as will competence at problem solving and forming firm, assertive decisions based on the best available data.
Commodity Lead Jobs in Kidderminster
With the huge conurbation of the Birmingham area four miles (7 km) of rural land away, Kidderminster is almost, but not quite, a part of it. With its next-door neighbour Stourport-on-Severn, however, it has an entirely different feel to it – definitely more of a town. The Worcestershire settlement is home to about 60,000 people is located 17 miles (27 km) to the south west of the centre of Birmingham, 14 miles (23 km) north or Worcester and 32 miles (50 km) south east of Shrewsbury. It has rail links to the north and south as well into Birmingham, and the M5 is 9 miles down the road.
Kidderminster’s most important single industry has traditionally been carpet making. The well known Brintons company set up in the town at the end of the eighteenth century, and to this day it has still not had the rug pulled from under its feet – it’s still a good local employer. Victoria Carpets is also based here, and again it is bucking the Industrial Revolution trend and staying in business. The town has a bustling town centre and a recently redeveloped shopping centre called Weaver’s Wharf, which is another key employer.
If you’re looking for Commodity Lead work in Kidderminster, you could be in luck as it does still have something of an industrial base, even through the town itself is relatively comfortable – it’s also a handy commuter town for Birmingham and Worcester. The shopping centre and the good rail and road links also make it a likely place for logistics and supply chain operations to get started, so if you’re based in the town, do get in touch.
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Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
Cast UK were founded by specialists in the logistics, supply chain and procurement trade, and our consultants are also drawn from these backgrounds, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for.
If you’re looking for a job in procurement, whether you’re relocating for personal reasons or are simply looking for more job fulfilment, there could well be an employer who’s looking for the skills you have, so please get in touch with Cast UK. At any given time, we have jobs all over the UK, so wherever you live, or plan to live, we are well placed to find work that suits your skills. Employers often approach us to find managerial and executive candidates, so if you’re in logistics, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Commodity Lead for your business or find you a job as a Commodity Lead then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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