Assistant Buyer

Overview

The role involves efficiently managing purchasing activities, including placing orders with suppliers while ensuring a high level of customer service. It also requires timely and accurate execution of administrative and maintenance tasks related to procurement systems and buying processes.

• Process electronic requisitions within the Trust's purchase-to-pay system, while collaborating with service users to offer procurement guidance, address inquiries, and ensure their needs are fulfilled.
• Utilise both telephone and electronic communication to gather quotations from suppliers, assess the received offers, and reach agreements with service users regarding the products and services to be acquired.
• Manage a specific range of low-value contracts and actively contribute to the department's savings objectives and targets.
• To effectively manage electronic requisitions, it is essential to process and place orders promptly, ensuring that goods and services are acquired efficiently and in a timely manner.
• Carry out purchasing activities in compliance with Trust protocols, Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions, Professional Codes of Practice, and applicable regulations.
• Engage with service users to offer procurement guidance, address their inquiries, and ensure that their needs are adequately fulfilled.
• Foster strong relationships with user departments and ensure the delivery of exceptional customer service.
• Inform service users about the correct procedures for requisitioning and ordering, and ensure that both requisitioners and authorised officers are fully aware of the necessary protocols to follow.
• Identify areas with significant expenditures, particularly focusing on recurring low-value orders, and communicate these findings to the Supply Chain Manager and the Strategic Procurement teams.
• Engage proactively with the Trust's Supply Chain team to address and resolve delivery inquiries, focusing on establishing delivery arrangements for individual orders that enhance efficiency and minimise delivery issues.
• Engage proactively with the Trust's invoice Payments Team to address and resolve any invoice-related queries, establishing efficient payment arrangements to reduce invoice discrepancies.
• Engage proactively with suppliers to establish pricing and delivery schedule agreements, while addressing any inquiries that may arise.
• Utilise telephone and electronic communication to request quotes from suppliers, assess the received proposals, and collaborate with service users to determine the products and services to be acquired.
• In collaboration with project teams, budget holders, and the Strategic teams, prepare summaries of quotations and tenders, assess the offers, and provide recommendations regarding the awarding of contracts.
• The individual will be accountable for managing a specific range of low-value contracts under the guidance of the Supply Chain Manager, which includes overseeing the process of competitive quotation exercises.
• To actively seek out opportunities for cost savings and present these findings to service users; to cultivate and sustain a comprehensive understanding of the Trust, as well as national and framework contracts that the Trust can utilise, ensuring that these contracts are leveraged effectively to meet the needs of customers.
• Document all savings realised in accordance with the Procurement Savings procedure.
• The role involves addressing and resolving inquiries from system users via telephone and email, collaborating with the Supply Chain Manager as necessary, and ensuring that accurate records are kept.
• To generate the necessary reports from procurement systems, it is essential to analyse purchasing data effectively.
• The task involves the precise and effective organisation of records and data in both electronic and paper formats as necessary.
• The role involves performing various administrative tasks as needed, which includes drafting letters and other documents using Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel. Additionally, responsibilities encompass managing telephone communications, organising files, and inputting data.
• To leverage pertinent websites for acquiring information related to contracts, products, pricing, and suppliers.
• Take charge of one's ongoing growth and enhancement in professional and technical skills through various avenues, such as attending conferences, participating in workshops, and utilizing online resources and communication platforms.
• To uphold the appropriate ethical standards while conducting the Trust's business, ensuring a high level of professionalism and integrity in all interactions with customers, suppliers, and colleagues.
• Engage in team meetings as necessary.
• Contributes to identification and development of value for money supply solutions.

• 1. All correspondence will be sent to you via the email address you applied from. Please ensure you check your emails regularly.
• 2. References - please ensure…