Strategic Buyer jobs
Forward planning in procurement is hugely important, not least because there are so many factors that change as time goes by that are difficult to gauge with precision. Fluctuations in exchange rates and changes in import or export duties can affect companies, for example; or unusual weather patterns can scupper the best laid plans. There are other elements that are more predictable, however. Seasonal changes in supply certainly affect industries such as food and horticulture; and changes in demand, such as those created by summer holidays or Christmas are relatively more straightforward.
The strategic buyer will be in charge of creating a procurement profile over the long term, taking into account the known or expected changes but also allowing for variations that cannot be accurately predicted. Whether this will involve contingency planning or coming up with particular guarantees from suppliers will depend on the raw materials or other products being supplied, but the strategic buyer, looking at the big picture, should be able to maintain supply to his or her company unless something off the scale happens.
The strategic buyer could have a team of planners to help gather data, and there will necessarily be a good deal of contact with the suppliers to ensure supply through negotiation and contracting. As well as maintaining supply, the task will still be to keep costs to a minimum, just like any procurement role; however when long-term interests supersede short-terms ones, management will usually be wise to listen to the strategist.
The skills required
Excellent planning and analysis abilities will be the mainstay of the strategic buyer. This is a role aimed at minimising shocks to the company’s system caused by unexpected lack of supply or price hikes. A thorough understanding of the sector in which the position is vacant, including the seasonality of its suppliers, will be essential for this role. A very good grasp of risk management and an ability to gauge when potential risk is too great to overlook will also be required.
Meeting with suppliers and potential suppliers and negotiating deals will be a big part of the job, so excellent communication and interpersonal skills will be required, as well as an ability to be persuasive when driving a bargain that is best for the client. Experience in procurement at a high level will be useful.
Strategic Buyer Jobs in Wallasey
After years of sailing the seven seas and bringing back cargoes and unlikely tales, the upper ranks of the merchant and military navies wanted somewhere pleasant to live, and if they weren’t fed up of the sea, one such place might have been Wallasey. The town at the northern tip of the Wirral, opposite Liverpool, sprung up for just this reason, and it was full of large homes for such seamen to retire to. The town had a small presence already in the shape of a fort and lighthouse, both to protect the port, but it was barely inhabited. New Brighton, the most resort-like part, was named after Brighton on the south coast, and it was hoped that it would emulate its success.
Wallasey’s population of around 60,000 is well connected by road, rail and sea. The M53 to Chester starts in the town and the Kingsway tunnel (known locally as the Wallasey Tunnel) picks up at the same point. By rail Wallasey is linked to Liverpool, the Wirral, North Wales and Chester, and the Mersey Ferry crosses from Wallasey’s Seacombe terminal (as well as Birkenhead). Birkenhead and Wallasey would now probably be completely merged were it not for the dock that stretches 2600 metres inland.
Wallasey is now an integral part of the Liverpool and Birkenhead conurbation, and it is no longer a retreat for retired seamen, with most of their houses being converted into bed and breakfasts or flats long ago. The town’s economy is now linked with those of its neighbouring towns and Liverpool, and that is not bad news for anyone looking for Strategic Buyer work, as the region still has plenty of manufacturing and distribution industry.
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Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
Whatever the season, Cast UK have jobs all over the UK, so we’re best placed to find you work in logistics, procurement or supply chain wherever you are. If you’re moving house, please see if there are any positions available in the area you’re moving to; and if you’re simply looking for more fulfilment in your working life, there could be an employer looking for the skills you have.
Cast UK was founded by logistics, procurement and supply chain specialists, and our consultants are all from these backgrounds too, so we have in-depth knowledge of what employers and candidates are looking for. Employers come to us to find candidates because they’re confident that we’ll help them find the most appropriate managers and executives.
When we have your details, we’ll be able to start matching you with positions as soon as they arise, so do get in touch if you’re looking for a job in procurement.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Strategic Buyer for your business or find you a job as a Strategic Buyer then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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