Annalisa Blackford
Didcot,Oxfordshire
Summary
Accomplished professional with expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiation, and contract management across CapEx and OpEx. Demonstrates proficiency in budgeting, cost control, and team leadership, driving process improvement and change management initiatives. Skilled in ERP/MRP systems and supply chain operations, with advanced capabilities in data analysis and reporting. Adept at stakeholder engagement and utilising systems such as SAP, Sage 50, IFS, Coupa, MS Office Suite including advanced Excel, Nav Dynamics, TMS, and Service Desk to optimise operations. Committed to leveraging skills for impactful contributions to organisational success.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
14
14
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Team Lead
Evotec UK Limited
MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2025.01 - 2026.03
- Lead, recruit, train, and manage a team of Strategic Buyers to deliver optimal commercial outcomes.
- Collaborate with the Head of Procurement and international teams to enhance site purchasing processes.
- Oversee supplier negotiations, contract reviews, and ensure compliance with company policies.
- Act as a liaison between procurement, operations, and enabling functions to maintain service excellence.
- Resolve escalations and long-standing queries, implementing process improvements within P2P.
- Provide operational purchasing support when required.
- Build strategic alliances with key suppliers and manage ongoing relationships.
- Support onboarding of new procurement technologies.
- Participate in lean efficiency initiatives and SOX audits.
Interim Team Lead
Evotec UK Limited
MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2024.01 - 2025.12
- All Responsibilities of a Strategic Buyer
- Managing a team of 8 Buyers and Procurement Specialists, overseeing training, and professional growth of employees, over the 3 Evotec UK entities.
- Working part of a local team on implementation of SAP for one of the Evotec UK Entities. Ensuring smooth transitions and training for employees of current systems.
- Collaborating and working on making Purchasing One Our Purchasing team with new KPIs to fall inline with current global purchasing matrix.
- Negotiating Spend Rebate Schemes with top 50 Suppliers.
Strategic Buyer
Evotec UK Limited
MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2021.11 - 2023.12
- Support and develop the purchasing process on site with the help of the manager and the international purchasing team
- Support budgeting Capex process – Globally and at site level.
- Negotiate Capex and Opex Contracts that is a win-win for the supplier and company
- Spend Analysis – pulling data reports for suppliers and at category level to ascertain opportunities at site level and global.
- Supplier Relationship Management
- Provide backup to operative purchasing when needed
- Support project management on lean and efficiency projects
- Monitor supplier’s reliability and assessment. On site and team meetings. Checking against companies KPIS
Senior Buyer – Procurement / Finance Manager
Oxis Energy Limited
ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2018.05 - 2021.05
- Managed team of 2 employees, overseeing the hiring, training, and professional growth of employees.
- Working as part of the Project Team to manage the changeover from Sage 50 to Nav Dynamic, along with training. This include testing the system and modifications required to ensure the system is successful.
- Logistics – Managing shipments in and out of the business. Ensuring Export control is carried out end to end. Working with Customs to resolve any problems when required.
- Continuation of all responsibilities below Of Materials Buyer and Procurement Assistant.
- Budgets for all departments – ensuring we get the best price and quality for goods or services required within the given price set to achieve
- Continuation of all roles from promotions below.
- Redundant – Company Liquidation
Materials Buyer
Oxis Energy Limited
ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2013.11 - 2018.05
- Negotiating, pricing and sourcing of Bills of Materials, exotic chemicals and rare earth metals
- Scrutiny of MRP Systems and ordering of BOM based on forecasts.
- Negotiating both high and low volume materials and services to ensure cost downs are maximised.
- Scrutiny and negotiation of Term's and Conditions for materials, CapEx and significant spend purchases.
- Liaison with strategic material vendors including vendor assessments, site visits, vendor meetings and inter departmental liaison.
- Updating CapEx/SSF live budget spreadsheet as and when significant purchases are made to aid the CFO with spend analysis.
- Progressing overdue purchase orders and keeping details of Vendor commitments.
- Vendor assessment and resourcing as necessary on key and non-key supplies
- Analysis of materials spend and BOM costings providing support as necessary to the Procurement Manager & CFO as necessary.
- Assisting Finance with day to day duties, such as inputting of invoices on Financial system. Updating/Load payments listing & Reconciliations.
- Generating Vendor &financial reports for CFO, FC & Procurement Manager plus project reporting for the Company.
- Full supply chain management of UK, EU and International Vendors.
- Scrutiny of capital equipment or significant spend requisitions for conformance, accuracy and appropriate signatories in readiness for placement of purchase orders.
- Vendor assessment and resourcing as necessary on key and strategic Vendors.
- Dealing with shipment of dangerous goods worldwide ensuring timely cost-effective delivery.
- Manage import/export procurement processes including the selection of appropriate freight forwarder and shipment method (air/sea/road) according to legislation.
- Achievements: -
- Temporarily managing the department for four months in the absence of a Procurement Manager.
- I was chosen as part of the project team responsible for the implementation of MS Nav dynamics and the transition from Sage 50.
- Vendor Relationship and Supply Chain Management with Domestic, Far East, ROW and European Vendors
- Annual Cost Savings
- Analysed departmental documents for appropriate distribution and filing.
- Performed initial client assessment and analysis to begin research process.
- Supported Chief Operating Officer with daily operational functions.
Procurement Assistant
Oxis Energy Limited
ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2013.10 - 2015.10
- Researched and updated all required materials needed for firm and partners.
- Assisted various business groups with document organisation and dissemination during acquisitions.
- Monitored multiple databases to keep track of all company inventory.
- Obtained documents, clearances, certificates and approvals from local, state and federal agencies.
- Analysed departmental documents for appropriate distribution and filing.
- Promoted to Materials Buyer
Customer Relationship Manager
British Gas
Oxford
2009.11 - 2013.10
- Managed team of 3 employees, overseeing training, and professional growth of employees.
- Managing customer communication including telephone and written correspondence at all levels inside and outside the business.
- Managing complex queries requiring in depth analysis.
- Resolved issues quickly to maintain productivity goals.
- Delivering exceptional levels of customer service optimising any opportunity to set and exceed customer expectation.
- Ensuring customers received accurate and timely billing and query management.
- Managing service level agreements internally.
- Planning and effectively managing customer meetings, both face to face and via teleconferences.
- Identifying opportunities by deepening customer relationships and gaining a clear understanding of customer portfolios.
- Interface with key internal stakeholders and external suppliers to create and deliver exceptional customer outcomes
Customer Relationship Executive
British Gas Business
Oxford, Oxfordshire
2009.11 - 2013.10
- Managing customer communication including telephone and written correspondence at all levels inside and outside the business.
- Managing complex queries requiring in depth analysis.
- Delivering exceptional levels of customer service optimising any opportunity to set and exceed customer expectation.
- Ensuring customers received accurate and timely billing and query management.
- Managing service level agreements internally.
- Planning and effectively managing customer meetings, both face to face and via teleconferences. Identifying opportunities by deepening customer relationships and gaining a clear understanding of customer portfolios.
- Entering Meter Readings and general data entry.
Senior Credit Controller
British Gas Business
Oxford, OXFORDSHIRE
2007.11 - 2009.08
- Managing & maintaining assigned ledgers in line with Credit Management policy to reduce debtor days; achieving set cash targets monthly.
- Minimising the overdue balance on each live account within the assigned ledger section.
- Resolve, by liaising with the Customer Service Department, all queries which impact the customer's willingness to pay.
- Support the company's business objectives through successful management of customers' accounts on the Accounts Receivable Ledger
- Managing the credit risk relating to the accounts in the assigned ledger section; maintaining strong internal/external customer relationships with the customers allocation of cash receipts in order to minimise unallocated cash.
- Managing customer queries and follow up with Customer Service Departments to ensure resolution.
- Proactively contact customers both by telephone and in writing.
- Work to agreed quality standards and within agreed timescales.
- Proactively developing and maintaining specialist industry, business and system knowledge.
- Managing complaints and ensuring the compliance of these.
- Liaise internally & externally with colleagues throughout the business and externally with customers at all levels.
- Work with customers to reduce debt in a timely manner to meet agreed targets. Dealing with customer's queries and internal queries within agreed SLA's.
- Maintain customer related information on systems to the required standards to progress work, maintain accurate records, identify gaps in customers records and proactively collect appropriate information.
Finance Accounts Assistant / Proof Auditor
Airtime Dealer Support, Unique Distribution
Abingdon
2007.04 - 2007.11
- Processing Proofs and audits directly from companies, checking all proofs and audits to ensure correct information is calculated.
- Inputting data from base information in to Microsoft Excel.
- Dealing with cash back queries and commissions.
- Liaising with customers and staff on the telephone and via email on day to day basis.
- Filing information correctly and accurately, using complex systems to make sure information is correct.
- Using DPA systems to ensure the information stored is correct, checking stock levels on Access software.
Airtime Dealer Support
Unique Distribution
ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE
2006.07 - 2007.04
- Processing orders on a database, checking price guides to ensure correct information was inputted.
- Handling queries and problems for distance sellers, dealers and end users.
- Processing upgrades, new connections, returns and disconnections.
- Advising distance sellers of acceptable proofs for different networks, complete credit checks to ensure DPA was correct.
- General office admin and support and assistance offered where needed.
Receptionist / Store Assistant
Didcot
Didcot
2002.02 - 2006.07
- Fully Trained Member of staff, able to work in any department.
- The majority of the time I worked on the busy reception desk answering enquiries about the company, directing visitors, sorting mail, answering incoming calls, and arranging appointments.
Education
Chartered Institute of Procurement And Supply
2015.01 - 2020.01
AAT Level 2 - Accountancy
Abingdon And Witney College
AbingdonENVQ - Business and Management
ENVQ - Customer Services & Business Management
DidcotNVQ Level 3 - Management 1st
People 1st
2025.01 - 2025.12
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Didcot Sixth Form
DIDCOT 1996.01 - 2004.01
Skills
- Core Competencies
- Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Negotiation
- Budgeting & Cost Control
- Team Leadership & Development
- Contract Management (CapEx/Opex)
- Process Improvement & Change Management
- ERP/MRP & Supply Chain Operations
- Data Analysis & Reporting
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Systems & Tools
- SAP (Implementation & UAT)
- Sage 50 & Sage Manufacturing
- IFS, Coupa
- MS Office (Advanced Excel, Outlook, Word)
- Nav Dynamics
- TMS, Service Desk
Affiliations
- Cars
- Disney
Timeline
NVQ Level 3 - Management 1st
People 1st
2025.01 - 2025.12
Team Lead
Evotec UK Limited
2025.01 - 2026.03
Interim Team Lead
Evotec UK Limited
2024.01 - 2025.12
Strategic Buyer
Evotec UK Limited
2021.11 - 2023.12
Senior Buyer – Procurement / Finance Manager
Oxis Energy Limited
2018.05 - 2021.05
Chartered Institute of Procurement And Supply
2015.01 - 2020.01
Materials Buyer
Oxis Energy Limited
2013.11 - 2018.05
Procurement Assistant
Oxis Energy Limited
2013.10 - 2015.10
Customer Relationship Manager
British Gas
2009.11 - 2013.10
Customer Relationship Executive
British Gas Business
2009.11 - 2013.10
Senior Credit Controller
British Gas Business
2007.11 - 2009.08
Finance Accounts Assistant / Proof Auditor
Airtime Dealer Support, Unique Distribution
2007.04 - 2007.11
Airtime Dealer Support
Unique Distribution
2006.07 - 2007.04
Receptionist / Store Assistant
Didcot
2002.02 - 2006.07
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Didcot Sixth Form
1996.01 - 2004.01
AAT Level 2 - Accountancy
Abingdon And Witney College