Reports To: Purchasing Manager
Department: Purchasing / Supply Chain
Company Overview
Adams Foodservice Trading Ltd, established in 1985, is a leading supplier of food products to the catering and leisure industry. With a long-standing reputation for reliability and quality, we offer an extensive range of chilled, frozen, and ambient products.
Now part of the Bestway Group—a £4.7 billion business and one of the UK's largest wholesalers—we are continuing to expand our operations, including the development of hybrid sites, where Adams operates within Bestway stores. This expansion provides our customers with greater flexibility and access to the Adams product range across a growing network of locations.
Role Summary
We are looking for a proactive and commercially aware Procurement and Supply Chain Officer to support our growing Purchasing and Supply Chain function.
The role will play a key part in ensuring effective procurement, stock availability and supply chain coordination across all Adams Foodservice locations, including our head office, standalone depots and hybrid sites within Bestway stores.
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing day-to-day procurement activities, raising and monitoring purchase orders, supporting demand planning, coordinating with suppliers and resolving supply or delivery issues. The role will also work closely with internal teams to maintain appropriate stock levels and ensure continuity of supply across the business.
Key Responsibilities
- Raise, manage and monitor purchase orders across all Adams Foodservice locations, including head office, standalone depots and hybrid Adams-Bestway sites.
- Support demand planning and stock replenishment, using sales, stock and usage information to help ensure appropriate stock levels are maintained across the business.
- Monitor stock availability and identify potential shortages, overstock situations or supply risks, taking appropriate action where required.
- Work closely with suppliers to confirm orders, coordinate delivery schedules and resolve issues including shortages, delays, substitutions and damaged stock.
- Proactively monitor outstanding purchase orders and follow up with suppliers to ensure agreed delivery dates are achieved.
- Liaise with branches, operations and other internal departments to understand stock requirements and ensure purchasing activity is aligned with operational and customer demand.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date purchasing records, including supplier information, pricing, lead times and order details.
- Assist with the management of supplier performance, highlighting recurring issues relating to availability, service levels, pricing or deliveries to the Purchasing Manager.
- Support the resolution of purchase order and invoice discrepancies in conjunction with suppliers and the Finance team.
- Assist with procurement and supply chain processes for hybrid Adams-Bestway locations, ensuring systems, ordering processes and procedures are aligned where required.
- Analyse purchasing, stock and supplier information using Excel and internal systems to identify trends, potential risks and opportunities for improvement.
- Support the Purchasing Manager with supplier reviews, procurement projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Work collaboratively with the wider Purchasing, Supply Chain and Operations teams to improve product availability while supporting effective stock control.
Skills & Experience Required
- Previous experience within procurement, purchasing, supply chain, demand planning or stock control, preferably within foodservice, wholesale, FMCG or a similar fast-paced environment.
- Good understanding of purchasing and supply chain processes, including purchase orders, supplier management, stock replenishment and delivery coordination.
- Strong analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to interpret sales, stock and purchasing information.
- Excellent administrative and organisational skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with suppliers, branch teams and internal stakeholders.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications. Experience using ERP, procurement, stock management or demand-planning systems would be advantageous.
- Ability to manage multiple suppliers, orders, locations and deadlines within a fast-paced environment.
- A proactive and solution-focused approach, with the ability to identify potential supply issues before they impact the business.
- Commercial awareness and an understanding of the importance of balancing product availability, stock holding and purchasing requirements.
Benefits
- Competitive Salary
- Pension
- 22 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days
- Onsite Parking
We understand that no applicant ever ticks every box so please do consider applying should some or most of the above apply. Bestway Group is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity and inclusion. We welcome people of different nationalities, backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We want strong, and diverse teams built from talented individuals with different backgrounds identities and experiences.
If this is of interest to you and you would like to learn more, please do get in touch, we are looking forward to hearing from you.
