Buyer / Material Planner

Manufacturing Buyer & Material Planner

Location: Stourport-on-Severn

Salary: Up to £32,000 per annum

Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:00am–4:00pm; Friday, 7:00am–1:00pm

The Role

We are recruiting for a Manufacturing Buyer & Material Planner to join an established manufacturing business based in Stourport-on-Severn.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded and technically capable individual to take responsibility for purchasing raw materials, hardware and subcontract fabrication services, ensuring materials are available when needed to meet production deadlines.

Working closely with the Purchasing, Planning, Production and Engineering teams, you will manage the purchasing process using Sage 200, maintain accurate stock and supplier information, and build strong relationships with suppliers to secure competitive pricing, reliable delivery and consistent quality.

Key Responsibilities

Manage the day-to-day purchasing cycle using Sage 200, including its Manufacturing and MRP modules.

Raise, issue and track purchase orders to meet production schedules and stock

requirements.

Maintain accurate system data, including supplier pricing, lead times and stock levels.

Work with Goods Inwards to investigate and resolve delivery discrepancies.

Coordinate with suppliers to ensure materials are available and prevent production delays.

Negotiate competitive prices, payment terms and delivery lead times.

Build and maintain effective supplier relationships while identifying opportunities to reduce costs.

Resolve supplier non-conformances, quality concerns and delivery issues in collaboration with internal teams.

Liaise with Production, Planning and Engineering to forecast material

requirements and prioritise purchasing activities.

Read and interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications and Bills of Materials (BOMs).

Monitor supplier delivery performance and quality, contributing to regular supplier reviews.

Monitor raw material market trends and identify alternative suppliers to reduce supply chain risks.

Ensure purchasing activities support manufacturing schedules and business

requirements.

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will ideally have:

Previous experience in a purchasing, buying or material planning role.

Experience within a manufacturing, engineering or metal fabrication environment would be advantageous.

Experience purchasing raw metals and managing subcontract engineering or fabrication services would be beneficial.

Strong working knowledge of MRP or ERP systems, ideally Sage 200.

Good Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, including VLOOKUPs and pivot tables.

The ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and Bills of Materials.

Strong negotiation skills and commercial awareness.

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Good organisational skills and attention to detail.

Strong problem-solving abilities and the initiative to resolve issues proactively.

Effective time management and the ability to manage competing priorities.

A positive attitude, strong work ethic and the ability to work as part of a team.

A-levels or a BTEC qualification would be desirable. Experience working within a factory or manufacturing environment would also be an advantage.

Working Hours

Monday to Thursday: 7:00am–4:00pm, with a 30-minute lunch break.

Friday: 7:00am–1:00pm.

Occasional travel between company sites may be required depending on business needs.

If you have purchasing or material planning experience and want to develop your career within a manufacturing environment, we'd like to hear from you.

Coats Recruitment Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this permanent vacancy