John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies. 

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards. 

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. 

Managing and leading a regionally focused group within the Purchasing Service Centre and supporting the PSC Manager in the leadership of transactional purchasing for  multiple sites in varied geographies to provide the efficient procurement of materials and sub-contract services (External & Inter-Company) in support of John Crane operations.

•Coach, lead and develop diverse talent to build a high-performance purchasing team through adherence to Standard Work – demonstrate commitment to this environment through their own Leadership Standard Work while fostering an inclusive culture.

•Align suppliers to the requirements of purchase order product specifications and  delivery terms.

•Ensure production or sales & aftermarket operations for the regions in the PSC portfolio can be executed as planned through effective purchasing while contributing to working capital improvement (inventory, payment terms).

•Deliver best value to Smiths through the management of costs and the execution of category strategy in transactional purchasing.

•Structure the team to make best use of available resource and provide the required operational service.

•Demonstrate awareness of overall business strategy and actively seek to contribute towards its achievement.

•Manage daily tasks, issues and priorities on a self-directed basis, escalating to procurement leadership as appropriate.

• Experience of leading and building diverse teams both directly and remotely (min. 5 years),
• Professional certification in Procurement or Supply Chain Management – i.e APICS, CPIM, CIPS and/or suitable tertiary qualification (Bachelors) and/or demonstrable success in a similar role;
• Strong analytical capability and ability to formulate plans from data;
• Lean problem-solving skills – root cause analysis methodologies, i.e. A3;
• Strong IT system skills; MS packages, Power BI
• Knowledge of production planning/scheduling and manufacturing operations;
• Knowledge of supply contracts and applicable terms for operational purchasing: consignment, warehousing/stockholding, VMI programs, bailment;
• Understanding of Category Management approaches and tools;
• Understanding of corporate governance requirements in the context of purchasing operations, supplier onboarding/management and the P2P cycle.
• English fluency (written and spoken)

Diversity & Inclusion

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardlessof race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud tobe an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

According to our mission, vision and Global Policies:

Under no circumstances shall Staff be charged any fee or other costs in relation to their recruitment to work at Smiths, whether directly or indirectly. Any recruitment fees shall be paid by Smiths.

Smiths will not employ anyone below the age of 18. Smiths will take reasonable steps to satisfy itself of the member of Staff’s age before that person starts work at Smiths. When persons under the age of 18 are employed, they must not do work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous or harmful or interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school.