We are looking for an experienced buyer who loves sustainable products

Working with our team to deliver quality sustainable branded products for client projects and campaigns. Focused on ethical and sustainable sourcing to align with our values and product offering and to meet our B Corp certification objectives.

Critical to the role is ensuring we provide our customers with value for money, creativity, excellent customer service along with an approach that mitigates risks down in the supply chain and provides fully compliant products.

This is a permanent, full-time role based at our office in South London, that said if someone right for the role was interested in a long-term contract, we would also consider that too. Happy to discuss a degree of flexibility of hours and location too.

Who are we:

The Sourcing Team source ethical and sustainable products across the UK, Europe and Asia for some of the UK’s leading charity and commercial organisations.

With a blend of creativity, innovation and purchasing prowess we create off-the-shelf through to fabulously creative, highly complex, made to order products that bring brands to life.  We push boundaries to source ethically and sustainably, constantly searching out and pioneering new processes, materials and end of life solutions.

Our products cover promotional merchandise to retail products to products featuring tech to enable cashless giving. Promotional products support a wide range of initiatives from events to brand launches to staff recognition and welfare initiatives and retail products are for online shops mostly in the charity sector.

What also helps us stand out is holding EcoVadis Platinum award and proud to be a B Corporation, a growing movement of organisations using business as a force for good. We work with like-minded clients that care about their brand, customers, staff, the planet and its people.

We are a small company with a collaborative, can-do culture, entrepreneurial culture where all the team work closely together and all with a passion for sustainability.

What the key responsibilities will be:

  • Working with the team on sourcing, product specifications and order management
  • Clear and thorough liaison with the team on client requirements, any challenges and presenting the best approach to each brief
  • Responsible for briefing and selecting shortlisted and final suppliers and negotiating projects
  • Responsible for placing and delivering orders for both our key account and new customers, ensure delivery on time and to the agreed specifications and quality expectations
  • Ability to foresee and work to counter any challenges both upfront and as they arise
  • Comfortable in dealing with international trading (import & export) multiple currencies, logistics and quality control inspections
  • Liaising with International testing house to ensure correct product compliance in place
  • Managing the relationship with all approved suppliers and working with them on new products, developments and opportunities
  • Setting of Ts and Cs and KPIs and conducting annual reviews, compliance and due diligence
  • Where new suppliers are required for more unusual projects, managing the due diligence process and contract management
  • In addition, responsible for in-house contracts and negotiation to ensure best deals and service for every day running of the business

What the skills and qualities are:

  • Ideally CIPS qualified or on the journey to qualification
  • 3 – 5 years’ background in purchasing – experience in the promotional products market even better
  • Ability to plan and delegate to ensure we meet contract requirements
  • Team player with high attention to detail, clear communicator and strong relationship manager both internally and with the supply partners
  • A proficient planner with organisational skills and ability to priorities projects
  • Problems solving skills with a can-do approach in overcoming any challenges
  • Excellent with order management systems, general office software and excel
  • Analytical and numerically astute who is highly motivated to deliver commercial results
  • Track record of managing and negotiating contracts and developing good supplier relationships
  • Good understanding of purchasing, contracts, KPIs, creating detailed excel templates for tenders and supplier reviews
  • Experience of dealing with different markets, currencies, logistics
  • A can-do colleague to join our small friendly team, who brings professionalism and a sense of humour to the role.

Package

  • Salary £28 – £32,000
  • Pension
  • Health scheme
  • Flexi working potential

If this is of interest, you would like to know more or to apply then drop me an email to get the ball rolling on annettethurgood@sourcing.co.uk