Junior Buyer jobs
Procurement is a job that might look pretty straightforward on the face of it, but actually involves a good deal of skill and experience, not to mention a little black book full of contacts, to make it work successfully. However there are also many tasks in the job, such as routinely seeking out new clients and making initial contact with them, which many companies can consider inefficient use of procurement expertise , which can be costly.
This is why larger companies will employ junior buyers. They will probably be business graduates, young, able people starting out on their procurement careers but not experienced enough to be entrusted with running a department themselves. Reporting to a senior buyer or purchasing manager, they will be given relatively rigid instructions such as researching very specific data or they will be given lists of contacts to approach with propositions or enquiries, but the bulk of any negotiation, data interpretation, decision-making and sign-offs will be passed to those above him or her.
However, the junior buyer will, as time goes by and as she or he becomes more familiar with the job, gradually start to take more of the initiative when it comes to making decisions. Eventually they will drop the “junior” tag and become simply a buyer or a senior buyer as they make their way up the corporate ladder.
The skills required
Junior buyers will generally be sourced from the graduate pool, perhaps business graduates or possibly those who graduated in a field related to the company’s main sector. However, people without degrees might be considered if they have experience of a sales or buying position elsewhere.
Applicants will definitely need to have a high level of numeracy and literacy, as there will be a good deal of data gathering and communication in the job. IT skills will also be required, especially in the office solutions that are most common. Candidates should also be able to display a good deal of enthusiasm for the work and an ability to absorb information and take instructions.
Most employers will not take on junior buyers with the intention of their remaining juniors for long, however. The role will probably come with a timetable of milestones that demonstrate their growing experience and ability to perform their roles with minimal assistance as they develop.
Junior Buyer Jobs in Swansea
Once known informally as Copperopolis because of its fame as a region for smelting Cornish copper, Swansea has transformed itself from a typical Industrial Revolution city to a modern, fashionable and affluent part of Wales. Much of its employment is now in the service industries, most notably financial services, with retail also contributing. However its two most famous exports are probably the poet Dylan Thomas and Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones!
Also like many industrial towns and cities across the UK, it bore the brunt of German air raids in the Second World War, and has been heavily developed in the post-war period. A key development came in 1981, when Swansea Enterprise Park became the UK’s first enterprise zone. With excellent transport connections in the shape of the A4067, A4217 and A48 and the South Wales Mainline, the zone continues to attract businesses, which means the logistics element is regularly on the lookout for Junior Buyer positions to be filled.
Some of the larger employers on the Swansea Enterprise Park are beauty product manufactuer Alberto-Culver, industrial carbon and ceramics company Morgan Crucible, packaging firm Viskase, The Land Registry and Welsh Water.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
Cast UK were founded by specialists in logistics, supply chain and procurement, and our consultants are also drawn from these backgrounds, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for when they come to us. In fact, employers often approach us to find managerial and executive candidates before they are advertised, so if you’re in procurement, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Whether you’re relocating for personal reasons or are simply looking for more job fulfilment, there could well be an employer who’s looking for the skills you have. At any given time, Cast UK have jobs all over the UK, so wherever you live, or plan to live, we are well placed to find work that suits your skills.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Junior Buyer for your business or find you a job as a Junior Buyer then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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