Head Of Procurement

We are looking for an experienced Procurement professional who has produce purchasing in their background to join our client.
You need to have experience of dealing with growers, working with retailers

• Senior focal point across all co-packer partners
• Negotiate and agree all UK and imported vegetable grower prices and plan in line with technical and budgetary requirements (c. 100 growers, 100+ product lines)
• Manage / complete all grower returns, input into system and communicate back to growers
• Weekly and mid/long term stock positions against weekly orders and sales run rates
• Deal accordingly through the season as long or short scenarios develop
• Liaise with growers and yard for box stock control, and grower storage and delivery requirements
• Deal with rejections, collection of, and oversee decision making process to halt depot rejections as they occur
• Programming crops and volumes up to a year plus in advance in collaboration with customers, but sometimes without
• GM for the main site Vegetable Packhouse - responsible for all product stocks that come via this Packhouse, both UK and imported.
• Work with Vegetable Packhouse management on volume related issues linked to labour, stock management ( temperature and storage) Despatch ( lorry unloading).
• Plan and programme all stocks that come into site, be it packed product or smaller grower raw material only.
• Book and organise any haulage as required for incoming vegetable loads where purchased on an ex farm basis.
• Oversee tray stocks and movement of to imported and UK growers.
• Oversee vegetable administration, orders incoming and out-going, and product allocation as changes arise by product and Packhouse, imported paperwork (with support)
• Oversee grower invoices are signed off and correct in ERP
• Agree with yearly air freight rates for air-imported products
• Senior Leadership Team member responsibilities - meetings, reports, training, and senior business decisions, business visions/aims and goals
• Line manager to Vegetable procurement manager.
• Some weekend work required - oversee weekend orders, check stocks in place, record all sales
• Support commercial relationships
• Grower and Co-packer visits (UK and overseas) Travel both within the UK and abroad.
• Crop reviews.
• Seasonal reviews.
• On going relationship maintenance and dialogue and dealing with issues and future planning.
• As required attend customer visits UK and Overseas either with or instead of account manager and often with Technical colleagues.