C&D Foods is one of Europe’s leading Own Label Petfood manufacturers producing a range of Wet and Dry Petfoods. Founded in 1969, and now part of The APB Food Group, C&D Foods has grown to become one of the industry’s leading pet food producers. C&D Foods has 9 production facilities across 7 Countries (Ireland, the UK, France, Denmark, Austria, Spain, and The Netherlands) and 2 sales offices (Manchester and Italy). C&D Foods’ Headquarters is in Mullingar, County Westmeath.
C&D Foods have an exciting opportunity for an Engineering Stores & Purchasing Manager to join our team. This role will be based in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford.
As the Engineering Stores and Purchasing manager you will support the effective operation of the Engineering department and you will have overall responsibility for your budgeted spend and take responsibility for the ordering of spare parts, goods and services required to ensure that downtime is minimised while adhering to the fiscal controls in place.
You will be required to manage your own workload to maintain and be accountable for accurate stock control, document filing and data entry for all engineering parts and products. You will be an excellent communicator with the courage to challenge suppliers, managers, and engineers on cost.
The Engineering Stores and Purchasing manager will report directly into the Assistant Engineering Manager but will also receive direction from the Engineering Manager.
You will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that downtime is kept to a minimum through accurate stock management and that critical spares are never out of stock.

PERSONAL COMPETENCIES & QUALIFICATIONS:

Demonstrable experience in managing a stores or warehousing function ideally within an engineering function.
Demonstrable experience in relation to purchasing and negotiating pricing.
Ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders at a strategic level
Demonstrable experience in relation to working within and creating effective budget management.
Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to delegate effectively when required
Work cross functionally to support the needs of the business with the ability to use own initiative
Ability to challenge others in a professional and constructive manner
Proactive, dynamic and motivational with the ability to deliver results in a fast paced, pressurised environment

• Supporting the day to day management of Engineering shift team, working closely with Operations and site management team to ensure output targets are achieved
• To ensure optimum performance of the manufacturing plants and equipment at least cost to continuously improve factory efficiency
• Lead the setting of engineering standards within the engineering stores function by providing functional leadership and expertise on improvement activities, standards, stock control and budget management.
• Take ownership of your own performance/development needs, effectively manage your own time to maximise effectiveness.
• Effectively communicate between all levels in the department and Production on stock availability, delivery dates and expenditure.
• Be responsible for stock levels and critical spares, ensure maximum of 5% of total stock is on zero and 100% critical spares on stock.
• Produce and justify a detailed weekly spending report for Senior Engineering management
• Lead weekly stores & purchasing meeting with key engineering stakeholders. Use the meeting to influence the team positively where needed.
• Ensure attendance and participation at all relevant meetings
• Spend must not exceed agreed daily/weekly amount without Engineering Manager approval
• Ensure all orders are managed through Stores requisition forms and no order given without generating a Purchase order
• Ensure all spend over €500 is agreed by Engineering Manager/Assistant Engineering Manager before providing a Purchase order
• Ensure multimedia information is updated on a daily basis and all parties are kept informed of delivery dates/delays.
• Actively seek alternative suppliers to widen our supplier network and drive down cost of stock purchased
• Ensure that Capex spend is controlled and managed so that all parties are aware of the funding available.
• Ensure that benchmarking activities are routinely undertaken and information recorded to ensure the site and wider group are obtaining best possible value in routine purchases
• Monitor and maintain excellent housekeeping standards across all engineering store and Mezzanine area and fully comply with 5S and hygiene standards. All incoming parts must be on the shelf within 24hours of receipt.
• Pest proofing of the stores will be of critical importance and door control, food control & foreign body control shall be inline with company policy.
• Drive continuous improvement within the stores area and implement change.
• Manage Health and Safety within the stores area and maintain zero accident statistics year on year for the stores area.
• Keep all Item information and document control of food contact surface items and MSDS documents up to date and readily available.
• Implement cost saving & avoidance activities both within the overall stock value and on purchasing activities, these savings/avoidance should be documented and reviewed at stores meetings.
• Support the engineering function aligning with the site engineering strategy and annual engineering departmental targets.
• Ensure that housekeeping & 5s standards as set by Group engineering are maintained and routinely improved
• Support the mentoring, coaching and development program of the team, liaising with the engineering management team and training & HR departments where appropriate
• Esure engineering inductions, training matrices and training tasks are completed with the engineering stores assistant so that an adequate holiday cover plan is implemented.
• Ensure stores assistant annual appraisal is completed in conjunction with the engineering management team.
• Proactively engage with the management of employee relations within the Engineering function
• CMMS system
  o Support the development of the CMMS system.

o All data fields’ entries are completed to the required standard in relation to the engineering stores function. This can include spare parts kits construction and fulfilment.

• Completion of return to works for the engineering stores assistant.