Procurement Manager, Ornua Co-operative

Ornua: Cultivating a Career in Dairy Procurement Excellence

Are you a seasoned Procurement professional with a passion for driving strategic sourcing and a keen eye for innovation? Ornua, a global leader in Irish dairy products with over 55 years of heritage, presents a compelling opportunity for a Procurement Manager to join their dynamic team in Leek. This role is instrumental in Ornua Foods UK's ambition to become the UK's cheese Centre of Excellence, offering a platform for significant impact and professional growth.

Why Ornua is an Exciting Career Stepping Stone:

• Mission-Driven Organisation: Join a co-operative ethos, deeply rooted in creating value for Irish dairy farming families. Ornua's purpose and values-led approach fosters a supportive and collaborative work environment.
• Global Reach, Local Impact: With operations spanning 10 business units worldwide and sales teams across the globe, Ornua offers the chance to contribute to a significant international brand while making a tangible difference within the UK market.
• Career Development & Growth: Ornua is committed to investing in its people. This role provides opportunities for continuous learning and improvement, with potential for career progression and even global mobility. Their dynamic working policy also supports flexible hours and hybrid working, promoting a healthy work-life balance.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Beyond a generous salary reflective of your experience, Ornua offers a strong benefits package including a matched pension scheme, substantial holiday allowance that grows with service, a subsidized staff canteen, discounts at the company shop, and a wealth of wellbeing and lifestyle benefits like the Sports & Social Club, Staff Lottery, and a Bikes & Tech Scheme.

Key Responsibilities & Opportunities for Impact:

As Procurement Manager, you will be at the forefront of shaping Ornua's packaging and ingredients strategy, particularly for non-cheese categories. Your expertise will be crucial in:

• Strategic Sourcing & Sustainability: Leading the sourcing of packaging and ingredients that align with business and customer sustainability goals. This is a fantastic chance to drive environmentally conscious procurement practices.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Overseeing the tender process for new suppliers and managing existing contracts, ensuring optimal quality, cost-effectiveness, and compliance.
• Innovation & Brand Alignment: Playing a key role in Innovation projects, particularly in packaging solutions that are cost-effective, meet brand guidelines, and adhere to industry standards. You'll be a specialist, sharing best practices across the Ornua group.
• Cost Optimization & Efficiency: Identifying and implementing opportunities for cost savings within direct spend, supported by a Procurement Assistant to ensure effective stock management.
• Regulatory Compliance: Staying ahead of changes in regulations and macro-economic factors that could impact supply, and ensuring compliance with all legal packaging requirements.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Building strong relationships with both customers and suppliers, and acting as the primary point of contact for packaging-related matters for commercial teams.

What Ornua is Looking For:

This role is ideally suited for a Procurement professional with:

• Specialised Food Packaging Experience: Proven experience with food packaging, particularly flexibles and board.
• Procurement Expertise: Extensive experience in a procurement or buyer role, with strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficient use of purchasing software and MS Excel.
• Desirable Qualification: CIPS level 4 or equivalent is a significant advantage.

Embark on Your Next Career Chapter:

Ornua's interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive, with initial stages conducted via Teams followed by face-to-face interviews. This is an excellent opportunity for driven individuals who share Ornua's values of seeking new ideas, making things happen, being authentic, showing care, and achieving great things together. If you are ready to make a significant impact in a growing, values-driven organisation, this Procurement Manager role at Ornua could be the perfect fit for your career aspirations.