Procurement Specialist

About the Role

MM Flowers is seeking a Procurement Manager to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for building and maintaining business relations with existing and new suppliers, negotiating prices, and ensuring MM Flowers remains competitive.

Key Responsibilities

• Work cross-functionally with all departments to achieve business objectives
• Communicate daily with a range of suppliers and manage long-term positive relationships while meeting customer requirements
• Support the fulfilment of buying responsibilities by ensuring all systems, prices, forecasts, product codes, and mechanics for each supplier are set up and maintained in an organised and methodical way

Daily Responsibilities

• Maintain prices in the system and adopt a proactive approach to ensure 100% compliance
• Communicate quality by exception
• Work with Supply Chain to monitor supplier accuracy on daily arrivals vs orders
• Work with Technical to correct quality concerns immediately
• Assist with equipment where applicable
• Attend internal design feasibility and advise NPD, commercial, and technical teams on product availability and potential challenges

Weekly Responsibilities

• Monitor orders vs pre-season forecasts
• Send forecasts to suppliers
• Supplier invoice approval
• Maintain the standard price book
• Forecasting of Product Price Variance

Supplier Negotiations

• Conduct supplier negotiations

Managing Peaks

• Prepare and implement peak planning for Christmas, Valentines, Mother's day, and Easter

Other Tasks

• Complete Risk Assessments when onboarding new suppliers
• Conduct Annual Performance reviews with Key suppliers
• Support the wider Buying and MM Flowers team where necessary

Requirements

• Full driving licence (essential)
• Post Graduate (Minimum 2:1)
• Previous experience of working in FMCG (desirable)
• Previous experience in the Flower Industry would be advantageous
• IT literate – high level of IT literacy with extensive working knowledge of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power-Bi
• Rubicon experience would be advantageous but not essential
• Good understanding of retailers
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent numerical and literacy skills
• Accuracy & attention to detail
• Excellent planning & organisational skills
• Prepared to see the job through to the end
• Excellent Coordinator
• Able to analyse data
• Ability to work under pressure and with own initiative
• Good understanding and appreciation of wider business challenges and interactions
• Willingness to travel (within the UK and abroad)

What We Offer

• Holiday allowances calculated on the days worked
• Pension Scheme – auto-enrolled after 3 months
• Onsite Parking – free parking available
• Recommend a Friend Scheme – £250 payable when a friend is successful and completes their 3-month probationary period
• Career Progression – actively encourage employees to consider roles within the business
• Wonderful working environment – modern contemporary purpose-built State of the Art facility
• Committed to an open, ethical, and fair working environment
• Work with an Occupational Health provider to support employees mentally and physically
• Run corporate engagement initiatives throughout the year
• Gather employee feedback annually to improve the employee experience
• Grocery Aid

About MM Flowers

MM Flowers is a leading supplier of fresh cut flowers and bouquets to the UK and Europe's leading flower retailers. We grow and source the highest quality and most beautiful blooms, delivering colour, passion, and inspiration through breathtaking blooms. Established in 2007, MM Flowers has grown exponentially every year and is based in a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility in Alconbury, Huntingdon. We employ over 900 people who are dedicated to delivering exceptional quality and service to our customers.

We Believe

We believe we can only achieve our potential if we employ a diverse population of people, ideas, and perspectives. We are committed to growing our workplace culture, encouraging team members to feel unique, valued, and engaged, enabling them to achieve their full potential.