National Purchasing Manager

Company Overview

Aliaxis specializes in providing innovative solutions to global water challenges and supports the transition to clean energy. As a global leader, it offers premium piping and fitting solutions for building, infrastructure, industrial, and agricultural uses worldwide. With a workforce exceeding 16,000 employees across 40 countries and 80 manufacturing facilities, Aliaxis maintains a strong presence.

Within New Zealand and the Pacific region, Aliaxis supplies high-quality plastic pipes, fittings, and building materials through brands such as Marley, RX Plastics, and Dynex. The company actively pursues sustainability initiatives to minimize environmental impact while positively contributing to the community, guided by core values emphasizing care, innovation, and accountability.

Role Overview

We are seeking a National Purchasing Manager for our team located in Manurewa. This newly established leadership position is key to evolving and enhancing purchasing operations across Aliaxis New Zealand. Reporting to the General Manager of Supply Chain, this role includes leading a compact team and overseeing procurement activities across five sites nationwide.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader skilled in managing day-to-day purchasing while spearheading strategic improvement efforts. The role demands a proactive mindset to challenge existing methods, modernize workflows, advance best practices, boost reporting and automation capabilities, and engage both stakeholders and the team through transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and cultivate a high-performing, motivated NZ Purchasing Team.
• Manage procurement processes across direct and indirect expenditure categories to fulfill operational demands.
• Analyze and refine purchasing procedures to enhance efficiency, regulatory compliance, and customer service quality.
• Identify and deploy continuous improvement strategies, including automation and adoption of industry best practices.
• Develop insightful procurement and supplier performance metrics to inform strategic business decisions.
• Establish and maintain productive supplier relationships with regular performance assessments.
• Assist in procurement projects such as request-for-proposals (RFPs) and supplier engagement activities.
• Lead compliance efforts related to procurement, including trade regulations and modern slavery standards.
• Enhance data integrity, reporting processes, and system preparedness supporting future technological and operational improvements.
• Collaborate across departments including Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Planning, Finance, Sales, and Marketing to achieve shared objectives.

Candidate Profile

The successful applicant will be a commercially driven purchasing manager who excels at instilling structure, leading change, and executing effective solutions. They will be adept at balancing diverse priorities with consistent service delivery and excel in influencing and uniting stakeholders to revise and sustain improved practices. Comfort in both strategic leadership and transactional procurement tasks is essential.

• Demonstrated leadership managing purchasing, buying, or supply chain teams.
• Experience in manufacturing, FMCG, plastics, building materials, or similar sectors.
• Proficiency in handling purchasing and supplier relations for complex, high-volume product portfolios.
• Proven track record in process improvement, standardization, and operational excellence projects.
• Strong change management skills with ability to persuade stakeholders at various levels.
• Advanced analytical skills capable of leveraging data to optimize business outcomes.
• Experience working with ERP platforms and data reporting tools.
• Excellent communication and relationship management abilities.
• Enthusiasm for continuous improvement and implementing effective procurement processes.
• Preferably holds tertiary qualifications in Supply Chain, Business, or related disciplines.

Employee Benefits and Culture

• Hybrid working arrangement following initial training, with onsite parking and a supportive team environment.
• Commitment to environmental responsibility in company operations.
• Annual performance-related bonuses available to eligible employees.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program for staff and immediate family members.
• Recognition through employee awards and service acknowledgments.
• Opportunities for professional development locally and internationally.
• Mentoring programs to support career growth.
• Active diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including participation in a DEI Council.
• Strong safety protocols aligned with the Go for Zero initiative.

Additional Information

As an equal opportunity employer, Aliaxis embraces candidates from diverse backgrounds and strives to create an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and empowered. The company is mindful of removing barriers during recruitment and will accommodate specific candidate needs to ensure fair access.

Please note, CV submissions from recruitment agencies are not accepted currently.