Job Purpose
We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Procurement Officer to manage the sourcing, purchasing, and supply of all landscaping materials. This includes live plant stock, hard landscaping materials (paving, sleepers, aggregates), irrigation systems, soil conditioners, and seasonal grounds maintenance supplies. The successful candidate will balance cost, quality, and delivery timelines while ensuring live goods arrive healthy and on time for scheduled planting windows.
Key Responsibilities
1. Sourcing & Supplier Management:
- Identify, vet, and manage relationships with nurseries, tree farms, turf suppliers, stone merchants, timber yards, and irrigation distributors
- Negotiate annual framework agreements and project-specific pricing
- Build a preferred supplier list with backups to mitigate seasonal shortages or crop failures
- Generate and track purchase orders (POs) for: Live goods: Specimen trees, shrubs, bedding plants, bulbs, turf, seed mixes, Hard materials: Decorative aggregates, paving slabs, walling stone, edging, decking, sleepers, Consumables: Soil, mulch, fertilizers, plant protection, weed membrane, Equipment & irrigation: Drip line, sprinklers, pumps, pipes, fittings
- Ensure POs reference correct botanical names, sizes (pot/girth/height), grade, and delivery windows
- Coordinate delivery schedules with project site managers to avoid delays or double handling
- Perform receipt inspections – check plant health (no pests/diseases), root condition, and material quantities
- Manage returns/replacements for damaged, dead, or substandard goods (e.g., wilted root balls, cracked paving)
- Monitor stock levels of fast-moving consumables (mulch, fertilizer, ties, stakes)
- Implement first-in-first-out (FIFO) for perishable goods like compost or bark
- Reconcile delivered quantities against site usage to reduce shrinkage and over-ordering
- Track procurement spends per project and report variances weekly
- Identify cost-saving opportunities (e.g., substituting species, bulk aggregates, seasonal discounts)
- Advise project estimators on current market prices for tender submissions
- Ensure all timber is FSC certified and peat-free products are prioritized
- Maintain records for environmental and health & safety compliance (e.g., COSHH for fertilizers)
Requirements
- 10+ years procurement or supply chain experience – ideally in landscaping, horticulture, groundworks, or construction
- CIPS qualification (Level 3 or 4) or RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) certificate
- Experience importing plants (phytosanitary certificates, CITES)
- Forklift license (for handling aggregates/timber)
*Only applicants meeting the strict criteria outlined above will be contacted as part of the shortlisting process.