Job Title: Buyer - 12-month Fixed Term Contract

Department: Supply Chain

Location: Southampton – 5 days per week office-based

Working Hours: 37.5 weekly

A brighter future awaits you

CooperVision is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses with a presence in over 100 countries. Being part of CooperVision means helping improve the way people see each day. It’s more than making contact lenses, it’s about giving lens wearers freedom and confidence to move about their daily lives. We’re all about bright futures – for our people and those who wear our contact lenses.

Job Summary

The buyer will be responsible for the purchasing of products and services in support of business operations obtaining quotes from vendors, negotiating prices, terms, and lead time, creating purchase orders, tracking orders to ensure on-time delivery to meet requirements through the development of business relationships and strategic partners. Partner with finance and stakeholders to ensure sourcing decisions are in the best interests of the company. Responsibilities include:

• Plan purchases against business requirements and establish appropriate inventory levels/services to ensure continuity of supply.
• Establish, develop, and maintain effective supplier relationships and hold regular review meetings with suppliers covering performance (delivery, quality) and opportunities for savings and innovation.
• Develop, introduce, and apply strategies to minimize business risk within the purchasing process, including where appropriate the use of supplier agreements and disaster recovery planning for key materials and services.
• Participate in Tender processes/RFPs as required.
• Undertake routine purchase order administration (order placement, receipt, invoice approval), investigate, and resolve discrepancies.
• Vendor selection, development, and management, negotiating with the vendor.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and lead projects to realize these.
• Accountable for category savings targets and performance measures. Reviews specifications and Statements of Work (SOWs) to ensure that materials, goods, and services ordered meet proper quality standards.
• Participate in cross-functional project team activities to ensure that high-value/long-term purchasing agreements are commercially sound and providing the best value/lowest risk for CooperVision.
• Work together with the Product Change, Regulatory, and Quality teams as appropriate to ensure that new materials and changes are introduced via the correct change processes, including regulatory, validation, discontinuations, and product launches.
• Participation in company audits both internal and external as required.
• Provide a range of data and reports on purchasing and inventory activity to allow management, budgetary, and expense reviews to be carried out.
• Actively participate in continuous improvement opportunities.
• Any other purchasing-related duties in connection with the Company’s business as may be required.