Graduate Buyer
Job Description:
This is a fantastic opportunity for a recent Business Administration / Supply chain management Graduate or similar to work and develop in a multi million pound commercial business.
As the Graduate Buyer, you will play a crucial role in the procurement process, ensuring the timely and efficient acquisition of goods and services necessary for our operations. You will be responsible for vendor selection, supplier relationship management, purchase order management, inventory management, cost management, supplier quality assurance, risk management, market research, warranty management, and settlement.
Your goal is to achieve various targets and metrics aimed at achieving cost savings, supplier performance, inventory turnover, purchase cycle time, compliance, risk management, stakeholder satisfaction, cost avoidance, warranty claim resolution time, warranty claim success rate, cost recovery, customer satisfaction, and supplier cooperation.
Responsibilities:
1. Vendor Selection: Identify and evaluate potential vendors or suppliers based on capabilities, pricing, quality, delivery and warranty terms.
2. Supplier Relationship Management: Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, negotiate contracts, and ensure timely and satisfactory delivery of goods and services.
3. Purchase Order Management: Create and manage purchase orders, ensuring accuracy in specifications, quantities, and delivery dates.
4. Inventory Management: Monitor inventory levels, forecast demand, and optimise stock levels to avoid shortages or excesses both internally and on the engineers vehicles.
5. Cost Management: Analyse market trends, negotiate prices, and terms to achieve cost savings while maintaining quality standards.
6. Quality Assurance: Collaborate with suppliers to ensure adherence to quality standards, conduct quality inspections, and address any issues or non-compliance.
7. Risk Management: Assess and mitigate risks related to procurement, such as supply chain disruptions, quality issues, or regulatory compliance.
8. Market Research: Keep up-to-date with market trends, new products, and emerging technologies to make informed purchasing decisions.
9. Warranty Management: Introduce a robust warranty management system. Evaluate warranty terms, manage warranty claims, negotiate settlements, and track claim progress.
10. Settlement Negotiation: Engage in negotiations with suppliers or manufacturers to reach mutually beneficial settlements for warranty claims.
11. Recordkeeping: Maintain records of procurement activities, warranty claims, and settlements.
12. Reporting: Provide regular reports on procurement performance, cost savings, supplier performance, warranty claim status, and other relevant metrics.
Target Focus:
1. Cost Savings: Achieving cost savings by negotiating favourable pricing and terms, and tracking the difference between actual costs and budgeted or historical costs.
2. Supplier Performance: Evaluating and monitoring suppliers based on metrics such as on-time delivery, quality of products or services, responsiveness to inquiries, and overall satisfaction of stakeholders.
3. Inventory Turnover: Optimising inventory levels to minimise holding costs and avoid shortages or excesses, measured by the rate at which inventory is used or sold within a given time period.
4. Purchase Cycle Time: Reducing the time taken from order placement to receipt of goods or services, aiming to streamline the procurement process, and improve efficiency and cash-flow.
5. Compliance and Risk Management: Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, minimising supply chain disruptions, and addressing risks proactively to maintain smooth operations.
6. Stakeholder Satisfaction: Gathering feedback from internal stakeholders (e.g., project managers, and internal and external service team members) and external stakeholders (e.g., end-customers) to gauge satisfaction levels with the procurement process and supplier performance.
7. Cost Avoidance: Identifying and avoiding unnecessary costs, such as rush orders, expediting fees, or rework, thereby maximising cost efficiency.
8. Warranty Claim Resolution Time: Tracking the time taken to process and settle warranty claims, aiming for efficient resolution within agreed-upon timeframes.
9. Warranty Claim Success Rate: Evaluating the percentage of warranty claims successfully resolved or settled in favour of the business, indicating the effectiveness of warranty management efforts.
10. Cost Recovery: Measuring the amount of costs recovered through warranty claims, such as refunds, replacements, or repairs, compared to the total value of warranty claims filed.
11. Supplier Cooperation: Evaluating the responsiveness and cooperation of suppliers in handling warranty claims and settlements, ensuring positive relationships and effective communication.
These targets may vary depending on the specific goals and priorities of the business and will be agreed upon as we get a better understanding of the current situation and potential gains.
Candidate Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field (preferred).
- In-depth knowledge of procurement principles, practices, and supplier management.
- Strong negotiation and communication skills.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret market trends and data.
- Proficiency in procurement software and MS Office applications.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Attention to detail and ability to work under pressure.
- Understanding of warranty management processes is a plus.