My name is Eloise and I am a Strategic Buyer at Rittal-CSM. I have been with the company just over two years, coming from a sales and ops management background within the engineering sector.
Working within the supply chain department, I am responsible for procurement of materials in order to meet our production demands. Our team is responsible for ensuring the company is getting best value from our suppliers by strategically sourcing goods and ensuring continuity of supply.
Since I joined the company we have had massive changes at the Plymouth site with new business and production lines being transferred to the UK from one of our sister plants in Germany. During the changes I was responsible for ensuring all existing packaging for the new products was successfully moved to a UK supplier, and was able to do this whilst achieving a cost saving for the company. This meant we had to invest in around 130 new tools and go through the qualification process for each part. This required careful management and problem solving, working with quality and operational departments to ensure a smooth transition.
I have been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity by Rittal-CSM to complete my CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) qualifications alongside work. It has been a challenge to fit in studying around working full time however it has given me not only industry recognised qualifications but also a much wider understanding of procurement and its challenges.
Qualities that I am able to bring to my role are dedication, positive work ethic and the drive needed to succeed. I would like to think I am a helpful and approachable team player, and often represent the department within cross functional teams due to this. My experience, hard work and hunger to learn have meant that I have now been given a much greater responsibility within the department in that I have moved over to manage the steel (raw material) for the business. This is another steep learning curve for me but one which I am committed to achieving.
In the future my goal is to become a full member of CIPS (MCIPS) which is the global standard within the profession. This will recognise my commitment and dedication and will give me a vast array of skills that can be applied to my everyday activities at Rittal-CSM. Without the company’s support and realisation of the value of these skills I would not be able to achieve this easily, so I am very lucky and grateful to have this support. In the long term I would of course like to progress to a Senior Buyer or a supervisory/managerial position within the business if at all possible.
Find out more about Job Roles at Rittal-CSM.
Search current vacancies.
