Head of Procurement

**About us**:
Here at Southgate we are committed to evolving the industrial packaging and order fulfilment sectors through innovation, productivity and trusted products. We value our dedicated and expert talent here at Southgate and recognise their importance in ensuring our mission becomes a reality.

**Our people**:
The Company uses its best endeavours to ensure that no job applicant or employee is discriminated against, directly or indirectly, on any unlawful grounds.

We recognise and encourage diversity and inclusion here at Southgate. We support every individual’s potential and job applicants will be considered solely on their ability to do the job.

We want to ensure that everyone we meet can perform to their best when interviewing, so feel free to let us know, at any stage, whether you require any **reasonable adjustments **during the recruitment process, and we will do our best to accommodate.

**Core competencies**:

- Able to develop and establish proximity sourcing in international markets
- Ability to influence and challenge thinking and decision making internally & externally at a senior level.
- Develop a team to translate market trends and customer needs into a sourcing brief and support tenders across multiple suppliers.
- Ability to negotiate to high standards
- Ability to analyse and develop accurate conclusions to support business decisions based on key data
- Effective contribution to the overall business strategy.

**Skills/Attributes Required**:

- Efficient
- Orderly
- Dynamic
- Good interpersonal Skills and able to communicate at all levels across the business.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Enjoy working within a team environment
- Excellent time management
- High level of speed and accuracy
- Works well under pressure
- Quick to embrace change

**Knowledge**:

- Understand the end-to-end supply chain and the cost make up of products to enable you to improve costs prices and upskill the team.
- Strong knowledge of category management, marketing, and sales principles
- An understanding of market and consumer insights and trends.

**Behaviours**:

- Friendly
- Can-do attitude
- Personable
- Professional
- Attention to detail
- Passionate

**Education/Experience Required**:
**Essential**:

- Experience at international negotiations and communications.
- Ability to support direct team to manage & prioritise Customer and internal work demands.
- Strong numeracy skills

**Desirable**:

- At least 5 years + experience in sourcing/procurement across international geographies. Ideally from Asia and Eastern Europe.

**Primary Responsibilities**:

- Manage a team of 4 buyers to deliver KPIs and Business goals
- Creating and developing a strategic long-term plan for the development of the category
- Analyse the market to assess the potential for new products and services
- Supplier negotiations to ensure maximum profitability
- Quick solutions to sales challenges
- Create long term sourcing plan to drive continuous cost reductions / improved value.