Buying Manager

Our client, a leading organisation within the engineering and industrial inspection equipment and consumables sector, is seeking an experienced and commercially astute Buying Manager to oversee and optimise their procurement function. This is a critical role for a strong negotiator and strategic thinker with deep experience sourcing technical, engineering and industrial materials, equipment, and services.

Reporting to the Commercial Operations Manager, the successful candidate will drive procurement strategy, ensure continuity of supply for engineering projects and production operations, manage supplier performance, and lead a high-performing procurement team within a complex and fast-paced engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier and Contract Management

• Lead and negotiate supplier contracts, focusing on technical and engineering-related goods and services.
  

• Present contract motivations to top management and make recommendations for supplier awards.
  

• Maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure continuity of supply for critical engineering components.
  

• Conduct supplier reviews, monitor performance, and ensure adherence to quality, delivery and safety standards.
  

• Resolve supplier quality issues, non-conformances and delivery disputes.
  

• Ensure compliance with engineering procurement policies, procedures and regulatory frameworks.
  

Procurement and Sourcing

• Oversee end-to-end tender, RFQ, and sourcing processes for engineering materials, tooling, machinery and technical services.
  

• Identify supply risks related to specialised engineering components and implement mitigation strategies.
  

• Evaluate and select suppliers based on technical capability, quality assurance, cost structures and BBBEE/PPPFMA compliance.
  

• Maintain procurement documentation, purchase records, supplier files and regulatory compliance.
  

• Manage procurement staff and align the team with departmental and project objectives.
  

Strategic Procurement Management

• Develop and implement procurement strategies aligned to engineering project timelines and operational needs.
  

• Ensure supplier capability assessments are conducted before awarding technical contracts.
  

• Drive achievement of SMME and BEE procurement targets within the engineering supply chain.
  

Process Improvement and Reporting

• Improve procurement workflows, systems and controls to support engineering project efficiency.
  

• Roll out digital procurement initiatives such as vendor portals and automated workflows.
  

• Prepare and present procurement KPIs, spend analyses and technical procurement reports.
  

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure all buying activities comply with PFMA/PPPFMA requirements and engineering quality standards.
  

• Maintain an audit-ready procurement environment with strong governance.
  

• Identify engineering-related procurement risks and implement mitigation strategies.
  

Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing procurement team with strong engineering product knowledge.
  

• Align departmental output to broader engineering, production and project objectives.
  

• Build strong internal relationships with engineering, production, planning and maintenance teams.
  

• Promote an ethical, safety-conscious and high-performance procurement culture.
  

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Materials Management, Engineering or a related field.
  

• Minimum 8 years’ procurement or buying experience within the engineering, industrial or heavy manufacturing sector.
  

• Strong technical understanding of engineering equipment, materials, manufacturing processes and supplier capabilities.
  

• Experience with SAP Business One beneficial.
  

• Advanced MS Excel and strong MS Office skills.
  

• Excellent negotiation, communication and supplier management skills.
  

• High attention to detail, integrity and professionalism.
  

• Ability to work under pressure in a deadline-driven and engineering-focused environment.
  

Behavioural Competencies

• Self-motivated and disciplined
  

• Results and quality driven
  

• Customer and stakeholder focused
  

• Calm under pressure
  

• Detail orientated
  

• Safety conscious
  

• Professional and team-oriented
  

If you are an engineering-focused procurement professional ready to step into a strategic leadership role, we invite you to apply.

Posted on 12 Jan 10:48, Closing date 13 Mar