Direct Procurement Specialist

Role

Direct Procurement / Strategic Sourcing Manager —
Location:
Bristol

We are seeking an experienced Direct Procurement / Strategic Sourcing professional to lead the sourcing and purchasing of retail furniture for large-scale rollout programmes. This role is heavily focused on global sourcing, supplier negotiation, and cost competitiveness
, with full autonomy to source from international markets to achieve best-in-class commercial outcomes.

You will play a critical role in securing competitive pricing, ensuring supply continuity, and handing over robust procurement strategies to production teams to enable successful project delivery.

• Lead end-to-end direct procurement activities, from supplier identification through RFQ, evaluation, and contract award
• Source, assess, and onboard domestic and international manufacturing partners to optimise cost, quality, and lead times
• Manage RFQs, cost breakdowns, and comparative analyses to support data-driven sourcing decisions
• Lead commercial negotiations to secure competitive pricing, payment terms, and contractual conditions
• Develop sourcing strategies aligned to rollout schedules, volumes, and budget targets
• Present and hand over procurement strategies to production and project teams
• Act as the primary commercial contact for key suppliers and manufacturers
• Collaborate with design, quality, logistics, and project delivery teams to ensure solutions meet technical, aesthetic, and functional requirements
• Monitor market trends, raw material pricing, and global manufacturing conditions to identify cost-saving and risk-mitigation opportunities
• Audit and manage supplier compliance across quality, sustainability, and ethical sourcing standards
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across cost reduction, lead-time optimisation, and supplier performance

• Woodwork (solid surface, veneering, lamination)
• Metalwork (tube, sheet, folding, welding)
• Plastics (bending, vacuum forming, injection moulding)
• Print and glass

• Strong understanding of manufacturing methods, production capability, and cost structures
• Experience in value engineering and cost optimisation
• Knowledge of domestic and international manufacturing landscapes
• Ability to analyse complex cost data and select best-fit sourcing solutions
• Confident interpreting technical drawings and specifications
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills

• Substantial experience in procurement, buying, and supplier negotiation
• Strong background in manufacturing or production-led environments
• Proven experience evaluating multiple tenders and cost models
• Ideally experience within retail furniture production or a closely related sector
• International sourcing experience preferred but not essential