operations manager jobs

About Optimus Flowers

Optimus Flowers is one of the UK’s largest specialist independent flower and foliage importers, supplying high-quality products to customers nationwide. We operate in a fast-paced, time-critical environment where accuracy, teamwork, and ownership are essential to keeping our supply chain running smoothly.

We are looking for a proactive, organised, and detail-focused Purchasing & Operations Administrator to join our operations team. This role is key to supporting business continuity across multiple departments.

The Role

The key focus of this role is purchasing administration, supporting buyers with day-to-day procurement activity and ensuring supplier invoices, shipment information, and system data are accurate and aligned.

In addition, you will be cross-trained to provide operational cover across logistics, purchase ledger, and supplier claims during holidays, peak periods, and weekends. This cross-department support is structured, planned, and fully trained.

Key Responsibilities

Core Focus – Purchasing Administration

• Support buyers with day-to-day procurement activities
• Prepare, issue, and track purchase orders
• Check shipment information and supplier invoices against Florisoft
• Request missing or corrected invoices from farms or internal teams
• Update system data and advise the Sales Team of amendments where appropriate
• Raise discrepancies or anomalies with the relevant buyer
• Liaise with Accounts and Purchase Ledger to resolve invoice and costing queries

Purchasing Analysis & Commercial Support

• Analyse historical sales data, including cost prices, sales prices, margins, and volumes
• Identify trends, patterns, and anomalies in pricing, margins, and product performance
• Provide commercial insight and reasoned opinions to buyers to support purchasing decisions
• Highlight risks and opportunities relating to pricing, demand, availability, or supplier performance
• Support buyers with data-driven comparisons when reviewing products, suppliers, or price changes
• Ensure the accuracy and consistency of data used for purchasing analysis

Supplier Claims & Costings (Purchasing-Led)

• Raise and manage supplier claims relating to purchasing and invoicing
• Accurately record and track claim details
• Investigate invoice discrepancies and supplier queries
• Support settlement of straightforward claims within agreed limits
• Assist with purchasing-related cost investigations, including Blooms box costings

Purchase Orders & Shipment Information

• Liaise with buyers before producing purchase orders
• Send purchase orders to farms and chase confirmations
• Update Florisoft and incoming stock records upon receipt of confirmations
• Produce and distribute flight plans and shipment information
• Provide flight details to clearing agents, transport providers, and Transflor

Cross-Department & Weekend Cover (Secondary Responsibility)

• Provide planned cover across logistics, purchase ledger, and supplier claims during holidays or absences
• Undertake 1 in 3 weekend working, supporting shipment tracking, documentation, and issue resolution
• Follow documented processes and escalate issues appropriately
• Maintain clear handovers to ensure smooth weekday-to-weekend transitions

Samples, Quality & Ongoing Support

• Manage product samples, including vase-life testing, photography, and reporting
• Produce and issue sample feedback reports to Purchasing and Sales
• Support webshop photo updates and stock image reviews
• Maintain internal task lists, cover sheets, and contact information
• Complete ad-hoc tasks within agreed deadlines

What We’re Looking For

• Strong interest in purchasing and commercial support
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail
• Confident working with numbers, invoices, and data
• Comfortable analysing sales, cost, and margin data and identifying trends
• Able to communicate insights clearly and professionally to buyers
• Adaptable and willing to support other departments when required
• Reliable and accountable, including when working independently at weekends

Experience & Skills

• Previous experience in purchasing, procurement administration, operations, or finance is beneficial but not essential
• Experience dealing with suppliers is an advantage
• Strong Excel skills; ERP system experience (e.g. Florisoft) desirable but not required
• Full training provided across systems and departments

Salary & Benefits

• £27,000 to £30,000 per annum (depending on experience)
• Working hours: 09:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday
• 1 in 3 weekend working (essential requirement)
• Company pension
• Health plan benefits
• Sick pay
• Progressive holiday scheme
• Informal dress code
• Free on-site parking
• Modern office facilities with free tea and coffee

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £27,000.00-£30,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Bereavement leave
• Casual dress
• Company pension
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Private medical insurance
• Sick pay

Work Location: In person