Purchasing and Planning Manager

A leading manufacturer is looking for an experienced purchasing professional to join in a brand new, pivotal role across purchasing and planning at their site in St Helens. You will have responsibility of a team of buyers and planners, supporting their development while ensuring all purchasing activities and planning schedules are streamlined. With wide scope for development and progression, this onsite role is perfect for someone wanting to take the next step in their procurement career.

What You'll Do:

As a Purchasing and Production Planning Manager, you will be entrusted with overseeing procurement through to production scheduling, ensuring that every aspect aligns seamlessly with business objectives. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing procurement activities for raw materials, components, and services.
• Managing supplier performance by monitoring quality, delivery timelines, costs, and nurturing strong supplier relationships.
• Negotiating pricing structures, lead times, and contracts with suppliers to achieve cost savings while maintaining operational dependability.
• Leading daily production planning activities and manage the weekly Master Production Schedule (MPS) to align demand forecasts with actual production capabilities.
• Continuously adjust plans in response to changes in demand, shortages of materials, or operational challenges to ensure smooth workflow.

Please note this role is fully onsite.

What You Bring:

Your background should include:

• 5–10+ years of experience in purchasing and supply chain roles within a manufacturing environment where teamwork was essential.
• Ideally, you will have proven responsibility for managing Master Production Schedules (MPS) as well as detailed daily production schedules.
• You possess a strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle or Microsoft Dynamics.
• Your experience extends to supplier negotiation and procurement strategy development, and includes leadership skills with the ability to mentor colleagues.
• Your communication style is clear and considerate; you excel at stakeholder management across different departments.

The Company:

This company’s supportive leadership fosters an environment where knowledge sharing is encouraged at every level, ongoing training opportunities (including obtaining CIPS certification) ensure that your career continues to progress alongside industry developments. The business invests heavily in modern digital tools designed to streamline planning processes so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional results for customers while growing professionally within a stable yet forward-thinking workplace. Generous pension contributions further demonstrate their dedication not only to your present but also your future security. You’ll also enjoy an afternoon finish on a Friday to start your weekend early.

How to Apply:

Apply now or for more information, feel free to contact Senior Consultant Jess Vernal on jess.vernal@robertwalters.com or 07823647177.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates