Purchasing & Planning Manager

Purchasing & Planning Manager 📍 Hailsham, East Sussex UK PLEASE ONLY APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU HAVE FULL RIGHT TO WORK STATUS IN THE UK, AS OUR CLIENT IS UNABLE TO OFFER SPONSORSHIP.  We are working on behalf of our client, an innovative and fast-growing advanced manufacturing business, to recruit a Purchasing & Planning Manager. This is a key leadership role within the organisation, offering the opportunity to shape and optimise purchasing, production planning, and scheduling functions in a high-complexity, low-volume manufacturing environment. The Role As Purchasing & Planning Manager, you will lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team while driving operational excellence across the supply chain and production planning functions. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring on-time delivery, improving supplier performance, and implementing scalable processes to support continued growth. Key responsibilities include: Leadership & Team Development Leading a team of 4 professionals, driving performance, accountability, and engagement Providing clear, hands-on leadership alongside strategic direction Fostering a culture of ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement Operational Delivery Achieving and sustaining 95% On-Time Delivery (OTD) to customers Driving supplier performance to achieve 95% OTD from the supply base Continuous Improvement & Scalability Developing and implementing scalable systems and processes to support business growth Identifying inefficiencies and leading improvement initiatives Embedding best practices across planning and purchasing activities Cross-Functional Collaboration Working closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Sales teams Ensuring alignment across departments to support customer satisfaction and operational success Strategic Contribution Providing commercial insight and operational expertise to support strategic decision-making Contributing to the ongoing development and expansion of the business Occasional travel to client or supplier sites as required (expenses covered) About You We are looking for an experienced and driven leader with a strong background in purchasing and production planning within advanced manufacturing. You will bring: At least 10 years’ experience in purchasing and planning within a low-volume, high-complexity environment A minimum of 5 years in a leadership or management role A proven track record of improving planning, scheduling, and supply chain performance Strong understanding of production planning methodologies and purchasing processes The ability to operate both strategically and hands-on in a fast-paced environment Desirable Experience Exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies or highly engineered products Qualifications Degree qualified or equivalent experience Personal Attributes Confident communicator with strong leadership presence High energy, resilient, and adaptable Results-driven with a focus on continuous improvement Analytical and structured, with strong planning and prioritisation skills Why Apply? This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing, innovation-led business where you can make a real impact. You’ll play a central role in shaping operational performance and supporting the next phase of growth within a dynamic and technically advanced environment