Purchasing Assistant - #2189922

Purchasing / Sourcing Assistant

Birmingham | On-site

£28,000 - £30,000 plus benefits

Would suit candidates with the following backgrounds: Purchasing Administrator / Assistant, Buying Assistant, Procurement Administrator, etc

This is an opportunity to join the purchasing team of a global packaging manufacturer and work closely with the Director on supplier selection, cost reduction and international sourcing projects.

Our client manufactures paper and plastic packaging at facilities across Europe and Southeast Asia and supplies some of the world’s largest retailers.

Based at the Birmingham head office, you’ll support the Global Sourcing Director with day-to-day supplier enquiries and strategic projects. You’ll analyse costs, research new suppliers and give colleagues across the business accurate, timely information to support purchasing decisions.

What you’ll be doing

• Prepare requests for information and quotations (RFIs and RFQs), meet deadlines and carry out detailed cost analysis.
• Research and assess potential suppliers, make initial contact and keep supplier records up to date.
• Use data and sourcing strategies to identify, plan and deliver cost reduction initiatives.
• Maintain accurate product and supplier data and report on category spend, margins and raw material costs.
• Prepare KPI reports for supplier meetings, attend meetings and record and file minutes.
• Act as the first point of contact for internal account support teams on sourcing enquiries.
• Organise and label supplier samples, keeping storage up to date as ranges change.
• Work with operations, stock control and quality teams to support production and wider business objectives.

What you’ll bring

• Proven experience in procurement, purchasing or sourcing.
• Strong numeracy, attention to detail and confidence analysing costs and working with data.
• Good negotiation skills and the ability to communicate clearly with suppliers and colleagues at all levels.
• Experience leading multiple projects at once and working across teams.
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise, work independently and adapt as requirements change.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

A CIPS qualification is desirable, and experience using SAP would be an advantage.

Apply online or for further information contact one of our specialist consultants quoting reference number: NJR17121