Purchasing Officer

UTAC is a market-leading international group in digital & sustainable mobility, customisable testing solutions, customisable testing systems, vehicle engineering, homologation, regulatory advice & expertise, certification, training, corporate events and classic & sportscars festivals.

The Group provides services and systems to customers in the various sectors: mobility, transport, tyre, petrochemical, agriculture and defence industries. UTAC operates test centres and laboratories in France (including the official Euro NCAP facility), the UK, USA, Finland, Morocco, and Germany; it has subsidiaries in China, Korea and Japan. UTAC employs around 1300 people across its various locations.

As a group we share a strong and clear vision to deliver safe and efficient solutions and systems to our customers. We are proud and confident in our heritage, our capabilities and our people and believe that by creating a culture where individuals feel they can make a difference and enjoy coming to work, we can deliver the best possible service to our customers.

Our core values of Expertise, Innovation and Integrity provide a clear daily guide to how we work together safely, as one team, helping each other to succeed.

The Purchasing Officer will have a high level of responsibility, with emphasis on supporting key business units on a day-to-day basis. There will also be broader responsibilities across the organisation to lead sourcing activities, which will typically be time sensitive, complex and high-value. Purchasing KPIs are used to drive operational performance, priorities and behaviors of the team. These generally focus on supplier savings, supplier development and our ability to support the organisation in a timely manner.

The Purchasing team are currently going through a degree of transformation following the T25 initiative. This will generate a greater Group global emphasis through aligned processes, suppliers, local Purchasing resources (in a number of countries) and improved collaboration.

The candidate will gain a detailed understanding of purchasing best practices, with particular focus on competitive tendering, negotiation practices and the development of the supply chain. The experience should also give valuable insights into and practices of a Medium to Large sized Enterprise as well as a detailed and interesting understanding of the Automotive Industry.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Sourcing of goods/services through sometimes extensive and complex negotiations with UK and overseas suppliers, whilst meeting the needs of the business
• Developing existing and new supply chain opportunities
• Supporting with the implementation of the Global Purchasing process
• Strong expertise and guidance to stakeholders, with particular focus on the UK
• Conversing well with the Purchasing team located in UK and rest of World
• Analysing quotes to identify the optimum position for UTAC and making sourcing recommendations as appropriate. Implementing new agreements ensuring all financial, quality and delivery considerations have been achieved
• Conducting stakeholder reviews across the business to drive the delivery of purchasing projects, with the supply chain
• Becoming competent with the procurement systems (internal procedures and ERP are both going through a period of change)
• Managing Requests for Quotations (RFQ)
• Continued development of new processes to industry best practices
• Assist with the development and support of key Purchasing strategies
• Analytical support, preparing and working to key metrics to drive operational performance
• Supplier audits with focus on Business Continuity, IT Security etc.
• Developing and working to saving targets/strategies (across all purchasing categories)
• Understanding and awareness of contractual terminology to mitigate risk, and implementing new supplier agreements
• Act in accordance with the behaviours for UTAC colleagues at all times

Person Specification

Qualifications

• CIPS or Degree level qualification in a business related field are desirable

Core competencies:

• Experience within a similar senior buying or assistant manager role, with a minimum of 3 years’ experience
• Knowledge of the automotive industry, although not essential
• Knowledge of logistics industry, although not essential

Advantageous Qualities:

• Confident communicator at all levels
• Fluent in English language
• Team player
• Analysing cost data and commercial advantages
• Analytical skills
• Negotiating skills
• Managing difficult conversations
• Financially literate
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong organisational, analytical and problem solving skills

Personal Behaviours:

• Dynamic individual, keen to excel in the role and organisation
• Works well as part of a small team
• Uses own initiative and works well without supervision
• Willingness to learn
• Methodical
• Flexible and adaptable
• Problem solver
• Highly motivated team player
• Customer focussed
• High level of confidentiality and integrity

Other:

• Full UK driving licence and own transport (UTAC is not easily assessable via public transport)
• SC clearance or ability to achieve this (UK national with residency in the UK for the last 5 years)
• Willing to undergo a Criminal Disclosure check
• This position be will based on site (at Bedford), with the potential opportunity for some remote working
• Working Environment: Office
• Travel Required: Travel as required within the UK and mainland Europe

For you, as a potential UTAC team member, we believe that the international and diverse nature of our business combined with the passion, energy and friendliness of our people create a great place to work. UTAC is proud to be an equal opportunities employer, valuing inclusion and supporting our people to be themselves and at their very best.

By joining us you will gain access to a broad range of learning relevant to your role and personal development, as well as exposure to leading technologies and expertise.

Our reward and benefit programmes are designed to support our people with competitive and locally tailored packages combined with support for individual health and wellbeing both inside and outside of work.

In the UK this includes ;

• Life Cover
• Access to a wide range of discounts and offers via the Perkz reward scheme
• Recognition awards linked to our UTAC values of Expertise, Innovation and Integrity.
• Healthcare cashback plans
• Generous holiday benefits
• Contributory pension schemes
• Attractive family friendly policies; maternity, paternity, shared parental leave, flexible working.
• Access to a variety of employee assistance support services.

Learn more about UTAC and what and how we do what we do at www.utac.com

Candidates for positions at UTAC must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the country the role is based in. Immigration visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Note to Recruitment Agencies :

UTAC do not accept speculative applications from agencies for our open positions and any submissions made will not be accepted and no fees will be accepted or paid in respect of speculative CVs received.