Purchasing Manager

Position: Purchasing Manager (Permanent)
Purchasing Manager
Site Based, commutable from Leeds, Hudderfield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Bradford.
Automation & Machinery Manufacturing

I’m working with a specialist automation and engineering business that designs and builds bespoke industrial machinery. Operating at the forefront of automation, they deliver precision-engineered systems combining mechanical design, controls integration and in-house manufacturing capability.

This is an engineering-led SME where purchasing directly influences delivery, margin and production flow. Projects are BOM-driven, technically complex and often fast-moving. When purchasing works well, the business runs smoothly. When it doesn’t, everyone feels it.

You will take full ownership of purchasing across projects. That includes negotiating with suppliers, managing cost and lead time, protecting margin and aligning material availability with workshop capacity across fabrication, machining and assembly. Purchasing volumes can be significant during peak periods, covering everything from consumables and fabricated components through to high-value automation equipment and robotics.

The company operates a structured system that converts BOMs into purchase orders, but this role requires more than processing. It requires judgement, anticipation and commercial confidence in a technical environment.

This is a site-based role embedded within manufacturing. You will work closely with design and production teams, making decisions around outsourcing versus in-house capacity and preventing bottlenecks before they become crises.

Critically, this role requires someone with a production or manufacturing engineering background earlier in their career. You must understand drawings, tolerances, machining lead times and shop-floor realities. This is not suitable for someone who has only worked in corporate or indirect procurement.

You will need proven experience owning purchasing in a manufacturing environment, strong supplier negotiation skills and the ability to operate with calm authority within a close-knit engineering team.

If you enjoy being close to real machines, real production challenges and real commercial responsibility, this is worth a conversation.

Cressida Consulting Ltd is acting as a recruitment agency in relation to this vacancy. All applications will be handled in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. By applying for this role, you consent to your data being processed and stored for recruitment purposes. You can request to have your data removed at any time.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; sponsorship is not available for this position