Procurement Manager

Furthermore, here at FFE we value our employees giving them the freedom to be creative and innovative. Having a great team spirt and people that are proud to work for a company that saves lives, our teams see the direct impact of their efforts in the daily operations.

How many lives have you saved today? 

FFE Ltd is a specialist fire detector manufacturer and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of optical beam smoke detectors and flame detectors. FFE is proud to be part of the Halma plc group, a UK based global FTSE 100 company.

Our products include Fireray® beam detectors, offering a cost-effective method of protecting wide areas against fire. Examples include museums, warehouses, atria, sports stadiums, gyms, theatres etc. Talentum flame detectors detect across a wide spectrum making it an obvious choice for most flame detection applications.  FFE aviation extinguishers are present on over half the world’s commercial flights.

Here at FFE we value our employees and give them the freedom to be creative and innovative. Having a great team spirit from people that are proud to work for a company that saves lives, means our teams see the direct impact of their efforts in the daily operations.

Job title: Procurement Manager

Location: Hitchin, UK

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time (39 hours per week)

Hybrid: 100% Office Based

Duties and Responsibilities:

Procurement Operations

• Lead all day-to-day procurement activities across direct and indirect spend categories.

• Ensure purchase orders are placed accurately and on time.

• Manage supplier schedules, deliveries and expediting activities.

• Support production, planning and inventory requirements through effective purchasing execution.

• Ensure continuity of supply for all purchased materials and services.

Supplier Management 

• Manage supplier relationships and performance against agreed KPIs. 

• Conduct supplier reviews covering delivery, quality, service and cost performance. 

• Lead supplier corrective action activities where performance issues arise. 

• Support supplier development initiatives to improve capability and reliability. 

• Maintain approved supplier records and onboarding processes. 
  

Cost & Commercial Management 

• Deliver annual cost reduction and value improvement initiatives. 

• Support supplier negotiations and commercial discussions. 

• Conduct market benchmarking and sourcing exercises. 

• Identify opportunities to improve total cost of ownership. 

• Track procurement savings and report performance against targets. 
   

Contract & Compliance Management 

• Manage supplier agreements and contract administration activities. 

• Ensure procurement processes comply with company policies and IMS requirements. 

• Support regulatory and customer compliance requirements relating to suppliers. 

• Maintain procurement documentation and governance records. 
   

Cross Functional Support 

• Support New Product Introduction activities and supplier readiness reviews. 

• Work closely with Planning, Manufacturing, Engineering and Quality teams. 

• Support inventory optimisation objectives through supplier collaboration. 

• Provide procurement reporting, analysis and recommendations to management. 

Skills and Experience:

Essential

• Proven procurement or purchasing management experience within a manufacturing environment.

• Strong supplier management and negotiation skills.

• Experience delivering measurable cost reduction initiatives.

• Strong commercial and analytical skills.

• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving operational environment.

• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• CIPS qualified or working towards qualification.

• Electronics or engineering manufacturing experience.

• Experience managing international suppliers.

• Knowledge of supplier quality and regulatory requirements.

Key Performance Measures

• Supplier OTIF

• Material Availability

• Procurement Cost Savings

• Purchase Price Variance

• Supplier Quality Performance

• Supplier Lead Time Adherence

• Inventory Availability

• Supplier Risk Actions Closed

• Contract Compliance

• Procurement KPI Achievement

FFE Benefits include: 25 days Annual Leave, Company bonus Scheme, Halma Pension plan, BUPA health insurance, Simply Health cash plan, EAP.

 Application Instructions:

If you meet the criteria above and thrive in a customer-focused, collaborative and continuous improvement environment, we encourage you to apply. Please visit the FFE website to apply directly.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!

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