£50,000–£55,000 | Site-Based | West Yorkshire | Automation & Machinery
If you’ve ever worked in a machinery business, you’ll know this:
Purchasing isn’t back-office admin.
It’s the difference between projects flowing and projects stalling.
I’m working with a specialist automation and systems integration business operating at the forefront of industrial machinery. They design, build and integrate bespoke automation equipment, servo-driven systems, robotics, fabrication and precision assemblies in a genuinely engineering-led environment.
This is not a corporate procurement role.
It’s a site-based Purchasing Manager position embedded within manufacturing.
The business
This is an SME that builds real machines. Complex, BOM-driven, compliance-led equipment delivered to industrial customers.
They operate in cycles, peaks and troughs. One week you’re placing orders for robotics and control hardware; the next you’re buying fabrication materials and consumables. There’s a bespoke automated system that converts BOMs into purchase orders. There’s structure but this role also requires judgement.
If you’ve worked in automation or special purpose machinery, you’ll recognise the environment.
The role
You will take ownership of:
End-to-end purchasing across complex project BOMs
Commercial negotiation with suppliers
Cost control and margin protection
Managing high-volume purchasing bursts (up to 800 lines at peak)
Procuring everything from small hardware items through to high-value automation equipment
Coordinating goods-in and aligning materials with workshop workload
Supporting decisions around outsourcing vs in-house machining capacity
This role sits close to fabrication, machining, laser cutting and assembly. It is integral to releasing projects from design into production.
The challenges
Managing workload cycles
Anticipating material requirements before they become urgent
Managing peer relationships across design and production
Preventing production disruption through proactive purchasing
Balancing cost, quality and delivery without drama
Who This Suits
You must have purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment. However, the strongest candidates will likely have started life in engineering, perhaps as a Production or Manufacturing Engineer.
You’ll need:
Confidence negotiating with suppliers
Experience managing complex BOMs
Technical literacy (drawings, tolerances, machining lead times)
Calm authority within a small team
Comfort working on-site in an SME environment
This role is hands-on, visible and accountable.
If you enjoy being close to the shop floor, influencing outcomes, and operating in a technically driven automation business, please get in touch.
