Job Description

About Us

Tanpopo Japanese Food is a well-established and growing food manufacturing business based in Feltham, specialising in authentic Japanese cuisine for over 25 years. As we continue to expand, we are looking for an ambitious and proactive Purchasing Manager with experience in a fast-paced SME environment to join our friendly and dynamic team.

THIS IS A STANDALONE POSITION

Role Summary

As Purchasing Manager, you will be responsible for the full sourcing life cycle of food and non-food items across our business. You'll manage supplier relationships, negotiate contracts and pricing, monitor stock levels and support strategic planning, all while ensuring our product quality and food safety standards remain uncompromised.

The ideal candidate will be constantly striving for cost reduction and maintaining operational efficiency. This is a hands-on role that requires excellent communication, attention to detail and the ability to work cross-functionally across departments.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier & Product Management

Implement sourcing strategies and manage supplier relationships to ensure reliability, quality and cost competitiveness. Negotiate contracts and service levels to maintain strong supplier performance Ensure all products meet Tanpopo's high technical and quality requirements. Lead product planning and development whilst collaborating with Production, MD and Technical to fulfil all procurement needs

Procurement & Logistics

Oversee procurement of both food and non-food items (e.g. packaging, kitchen equipment) Openly discuss new ingredients, ideas and products, whilst managing the full sourcing lifecycle.

Cost Control & Analysis

Collaborate with Quality/Technical teams to ensure product specifications meet operational, legal and customer requirements. Monitor market pricing trends and identify cost-saving opportunities Analyse procurement data to inform recipe costing and margin protection Support budgeting and financial forecasting processes with monthly spend reports and quarterly purchasing presentations. Provide updates to key stakeholders, ensuring alignment and responsiveness across departments.

Stock & Inventory Management

Maintain stock availability through effective inventory control and supplier planning with the warehouse supervisor and order accordingly. Monitor all inbound deliveries to ensure SLA's are maintained. Support teams with weekly stock takes and delivery accuracy checks

Quality Assurance & Compliance

Ensure product specifications, labelling and traceability documents are accurate and available to the Technical department.

Forecasting & Planning

Use historical data, market trends and business plans to forecast procurement needs Support the team with ensuring no components are out of stock or over ordered. Implement ingredients which drive operational efficiency with the Head of Production.

Candidate Requirements

Essential:

Ideally 5 years of proven experience in a food purchasing role (ideally in chilled/FMCG environment) Experience working with Japanese or Asian food suppliers Strong supplier negotiation and relationship management skills Solid understanding of import procedures, food safety and stock management Data-driven with strong Excel and reporting skills Excellent attention to detail, organisation and communication skills Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities

Desirable:

Familiarity with inventory systems CIPS qualification or similar
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 40,000.00-45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Employee discount On-site parking
Work Location: In person

Reference ID: JA30072025