03 July 2008

Jaguar Land Rover is to hire a substantial number of buyers as part of a major recruitment drive.

The West Midlands-based company wants to hire 600 new staff in total - in engineering, HR, finance and within "the vital and expanding purchasing function". But the firm said it was too early to confirm how many procurement staff would be recruited.

A spokesman said: "The expansion is in line with our growth plans. As a standalone firm we need more help since we have moved away from Ford [the firm's previous owners]."

The car manufacturer, which was taken over by Indian firm Tata Motors earlier this year, is also planning to hire 80 graduates to join in September.

A study by Hays Purchasing & Supply found the market for procurement professionals in the West Midlands had been boosted by equipment manufacturers winning investment from overseas and pushing this down the supply chain.

SMjul2008