About the role

We’re on the lookout for a Purchasing Manager to play a key role in managing our purchasing, inventory and supply chain requirements. You will lead a team of materials planning and purchasing professionals to help drive the procurement strategy, ensure timely ordering, optimise material and supplier management, and ensure seamless communication between departments and vendors to prevent shortages.

To excel in this role you will need strong communication skills and the ability to multi-task in a challenging environment. Your attention to detail and the ability to build and maintain strong relationships will support your success. You will be outcome-focused and can think outside the box.

Key responsibilities of this role include..

• Improve Synlait’s ability to forecast and plan material requirements to ensure smooth production processes.
• Reduce material shortages and achieve optimised inventory levels.
• Manage the logistics of efficient material flow from suppliers to production.
• Enhance efficiency, reduced costs, and improved overall supply chain performance.
• Manage the effective use Ariba and SAP systems to improve processes for placing purchase orders and supplier payments.
• Ensure Vendor on boarding occurs in accordance with Synlait standard in a timely manner.
• Work effectively with other departments such as planning, manufacturing, procurement, and sales to improve coordination and communication.

Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and attributes:

• You will have previous experience in a similar role with leadership experience.
• Previous purchasing experience with demonstrable successes in achieving targets and best practice.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively within a large, complex organization, collaborating with multiple internal departments to achieve procurement objectives.
• Demonstrated SAP S4/Hana, Ariba, and PowerBI usage
• Experience in dairy, manufacturing or FMCG preferred
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the capacity to influence and lead cross-functional teams.
• Experience in SAP would be an advantage
• Proven ability to work under pressure and regularly meet deadlines in a multi-tasking environment

Applicants outside of New Zealand will only be considered if you have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

About Us – The Synlait Way

Synlait is a dynamic, purpose-led milk nutrition company that is Doing Milk Differently for a Healthier World! We pride our organisation as being different and allowing our spirit to drive our success, shifting perceptions and driving value through new thinking and a new attitude.

You’ll be joining down-to-earth, authentic people working together to create the very best in milk nutrition as we combine expert farming with innovative thinking and state-of-the-art processing to produce a range of nutritional milk products for our global customers.

We will challenge you by providing the opportunities you’ve been seeking to expand your career; we believe that everyone brings unique experiences and perspectives to the table so are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and embrace diversity to drive innovation and business success.

What we offer:

• Health insurance cover + Partnered with top brands for great benefits and discounts
• Excellent parental leave with our Matua policy + Flexible working options available
• World Class manufacturing facilities and BCorpTM certified
• Social Club membership opportunities

What's next? Apply now!

Include your most recent CV and cover letter summarising your abilities and what you can bring to Synlait. We wish you the best of luck in your application. We encourage you to apply early as we will be reviewing applications regularly and may close the advertisement early.

Together we will continue to create a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute their best.