Location: King’s Lynn, Norfolk
Salary: £35,000 to £38,000 (depending on experience)
Contract: Full-time - 40 hours per week - 8am to 4pm
Location: Office based in South Kings Lynn
Benefits:
- 21 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Employee Assistance Program
- Company Pension Scheme
- Discount Scheme
Procurement & Product Manager
This is a newly created role within our fast-growing business and an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact at a pivotal stage of our growth journey.
The Procurement & Product Manager will lead the end-to-end procurement function while playing a key role in bringing new products to life. Working closely with the Creative Director and Head of Production & Logistics, working with the wider teams you will translate creative concepts into production-ready products, while driving sourcing strategy, supplier performance, material continuity and cost optimisation.
The role includes direct line management responsibility for the Procurement Specialist, providing leadership, coaching and development to support operational excellence, continuous improvement and team growth.
As Norfolk Natural Living continues to expand, the successful candidate will help shape and strengthen our procurement and product development processes, build organisational capability and contribute to the development of a broader procurement function. This role offers substantial scope to influence strategic decision-making, support business growth and establish a best-in-class procurement and product management operation.
We are looking for a proactive and commercially minded leader who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. The ideal candidate will enjoy building teams, developing processes and driving continuous improvement, while embracing the opportunity to shape a growing function and make a visible contribution to both business performance and product success.
Key Responsibilities:
Procurement
- Manage and develop the Procurement Specialist
- Lead the procurement strategy for raw materials, packaging, specialist ingredients and critical production inputs in partnership with the Head of Production & Logistics.
- Delegate day-to-day purchasing activity to the Procurement Specialist while retaining oversight of strategic sourcing, supplier selection and high-risk materials.
- Source, evaluate and negotiate with suppliers to achieve the right balance of quality, continuity, compliance, sustainability and commercial value.
- Oversee procurement for high-value essential oils, specialist ingredients and other business-critical materials.
- Ensure suppliers meet required quality, ethical, sustainability and regulatory standards, maintaining appropriate supplier documentation.
- De-risk the supply chain by identifying primary and secondary suppliers for all critical lines and monitoring continuity of supply.
- Manage material changes proactively, assessing the impact on formulas, product performance, certification, cost and production processes.
Product Development and Launch
- Collaborate with the Creative Director to turn product ideas into commercially viable formulas, specifications and production methods.
- Coordinate formulation development, product testing, production trials, stability assessments and technical reviews to support launch decisions.
- Maintain clear technical documentation for formulas, specifications, bills of materials and agreed product standards.
- Support the transition of new and updated products into production, ensuring formulas, materials, documentation and processes are ready for scale-up.
Regulatory Certification
- Secure all necessary certifications and regulatory approvals for new products (UK and international where applicable).
- Ensure all formulations meet relevant safety standards and regulatory frameworks (e.g. UK/EU cosmetics, REACH, CLP, detergent regulations where applicable).
- Oversee Product Information Files (PIFs), Safety Data Sheets (SDS), IFRA documentation and any required safety assessments.
- Ensure ongoing compliance of existing products as regulations evolve.
- Ensure all product labels, claims and supporting documentation remain accurate and compliant.
Product Safety
- Lead investigations into product-related complaints, quality issues or material concerns, escalating risks to the Creative Director and Head of Production and Logistics and recommend corrective actions where required.
- Maintain accurate incident documentation, corrective action records and regulatory reporting where applicable.
Continuous Improvement & Governance
- Monitor regulatory developments, market trends, ingredient availability and industry best practice to inform product and procurement decisions.
- Develop and maintain internal processes for product development, supplier approval, procurement governance and technical documentation.
- Support sustainability initiatives relating to ingredient sourcing, packaging selection and supplier standards.
- Identify opportunities to improve margin, reduce risk and optimise cost without compromising safety, quality or brand integrity.
Skills and Experience
- Proven experience in procurement with a demonstrable track record in buying, sourcing or supply chain experience, ideally within a product-led, manufacturing, retail, lifestyle, beauty, home fragrance, wellness or consumer goods environment.
- Confident working with product information, specifications, ingredients, packaging, bills of materials, supplier documentation and compliance requirements.
- Comfortable supporting product development activity, including coordinating trials, gathering information, tracking changes and helping turn ideas into practical, production-ready products.
- Previous product management experience is beneficial but not essential; more important is the ability to connect ideas, materials, suppliers, costs, compliance and production requirements in a structured and commercially aware way.
- Able to bring together commercial, creative, technical and operational priorities, creating strong synergy between procurement, product development, production and brand direction.
- Experience managing suppliers, negotiating terms, reviewing costs and supporting decisions that balance quality, margin, continuity, sustainability and customer experience.
- Excellent organisation, communication and follow-through skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and stakeholders in a growing business.
- A practical, solutions-focused approach with strong attention to detail and the confidence to challenge, improve and simplify processes.
Qualifications and skills
- Procurement expertise with a knowledge of product development.
- Strong computer literacy, including confident use of Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Word, Outlook or Google Docs and Slack.
- Competent using procurement systems, MRP and spreadsheets to manage supplier information, pricing, cost comparisons, stock data, bills of materials, trackers and project updates.
- Line management, or team development experience would be advantageous, particularly where it has involved building capability, improving ways of working or supporting a developing function.
We Lead with Passion - Inspire with Purpose - Elevate Everyday Rituals.
Pay: £35,000.00-£38,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
- Store discount
Application question(s):
- Experienced procurement lead
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
