Manager, Purchasing

Horsham, United KingdomFull-timePosted Aug 5, 2026

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

Please be aware, the start date for this position is the 1st March 2027

This role will work onsite Monday-Friday
 

How will you make an impact?

The Manager, Purchasing is responsible for leading the procurement function for the Horsham, UK site, ensuring uninterrupted supply of direct materials, indirect goods and services, commercial purchases, and capital equipment while supporting manufacturing, operations, and business objectives.

This role leads a team of procurement professionals, develops organizational capability, and partners with Global Procurement Category teams to execute enterprise sourcing strategies and maximize value from strategic supplier partnerships. The Manager also maintains ownership of local supplier relationships and sourcing activities that support site-specific operational, engineering, facilities, commercial, and capital project requirements.

The position is accountable for balancing supply continuity, customer service, compliance, supplier performance, cost savings, and operational excellence while supporting the site's financial and strategic objectives.

What will you do?

  • Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate a team of Buyers while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

  • Ensure uninterrupted supply of direct materials, indirect goods and services, commercial purchases, and capital equipment required to support site operations.

  • Partner with Global Procurement Category teams to execute enterprise sourcing strategies, implement preferred supplier agreements, and support strategic supplier performance while independently managing local suppliers and regional sourcing activities.

  • Develop and maintain effective relationships with global strategic suppliers and local suppliers to improve quality, delivery, cost, innovation, and business continuity.

  • Support Operations, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Commercial, and Project teams to achieve business objectives.

  • Lead procurement support for capital projects, facility initiatives, new product introductions, and operational improvement projects.

  • Deliver annual productivity, cost savings, and working capital objectives through supplier optimization and procurement initiatives.

  • Drive supplier performance management, risk mitigation, and business continuity planning.

  • Ensure compliance with Thermo Fisher procurement policies, financial controls, quality requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.

  • Champion continuous improvement initiatives, including ERP (Oracle) optimization, procurement process improvements, and digital transformation activities.

  • Monitor procurement KPIs and implement corrective actions to improve supplier performance, customer service, and operational efficiency.

  • Develop succession plans and employee development strategies to build organizational capability.

How will you get here?

Education

  • BS in business, engineering, supply chain management, or technical oriented field required.

  • Master’s degree preferred.

  • APICS, CPSM or equivalent certification preferred.

Experience

  • Five years experience with increased responsibility and complexity in Purchasing or Sourcing required.

  • Experience with ERP systems

  • 3-5 years of people management experience preferred.

  • 3-5 years of program or project management and/or process improvement experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Results Driven:

  • An accountable leader that has experience in exceeding the business KPIs and fiscal requirements routinely.

  • A leader that is constantly testing the metrics and re-tensioning to ensure the team is evolving to a new improved standard.

  • A Leader with a proven track record of achieving stretch goals, holding self and teams accountable.

People Leadership:

  • Experienced transformational leader. Demonstrated strong people leadership skills

  • Experience must include demonstrated team development, building a great team and great culture.

  • This person must attract, engage, develop, and retain top talent at all levels, including creating culture of ownership and collaboration with other functions.

  • Inspires, influences, and empowers employees across the matrix (both direct and indirect teams) to overachieve objectives.

  • Ability to empower teams to develop impactful short and long-term strategies and action plans.

Influential Strategic Partner in a matrix environment:

  • The Manager, Procurement will be a strategic leader who has input and influence in the direction of the site.

  • As a member of the site’s operations leadership team it is crucial the individual is an active participant ensuring their perspective is heard and provides regular input. Anticipates and balances multiple partners.

Drives Strategic Vision & Purpose:

  • Experienced in developing and implementing a clear, concise and measurable strategic plan that is aligned to the needs of the business.

  • Plan and prioritize work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

  • Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer centric solutions.

  • Fosters a customer focused environment and ensures that organizational resources and support are focused on meeting customer needs.

  • Technical knowledge of life sciences manufacturing preferred

  • High degree of comfort using the Microsoft Suite and reporting tools preferred

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