Purchasing Analyst jobs
The procurement operation of any company will play a huge part in its costs, and therefore its profits and stability, so it is not something that can be left to chance. The purchasing analyst will be in charge of gathering data from various sources within a company and using the data to create precise performance charts to be viewed by key decision makers within the company. The quality of forecasting and the ability to spot areas where major savings can be made will be at least partly dependent upon the ability of the purchasing analyst to glean the most appropriate data from what could be a highly complex set of statistics.
The role will involve two very different but equally important lines of communication open: with people and with the digital resources. They should form close relationships with every manager and buyer who has direct contact with the materials or goods that are part of his or her remit in order to get a better feel for the direction the purchasing operation is taking and catch wind of any plans for the future that could affect the business, as well as to find out how any plans that have stemmed from their own analysis are going.
The digital channels will be the conduits to the raw data on which he or she will be basing the analysis, and thus a full understanding of the system(s) being used will be required. All members of the purchasing team and the purchasing analyst should be fully synchronised when it comes to using the computerised systems, and the analyst should be able to access any critical information held in them.
The skills required
Much of what the purchasing analyst does will be carried out at the computer, so he or she should be extremely competent at computing, particularly in extracting data from disparate sources and manipulating them to create meaningful analytical calculations. They should also be able to represent these data in clear ways, be it in figures and tables or graphically, using slide presentations and such like.
The whole range of interpersonal skills will be required to do the job effectively, so purchasing analysts will need to be as good at listening and absorbing information as they are at relaying their calculations and findings to the relevant parts of the company. On their data much of the company’s finances rest, so just as important as the accuracy of the figures will be the ability to clearly communicate them.
Purchasing Analyst Jobs in Loughborough
Loughborough is a town in the north of Leicestershire, close to the Nottinghamshire border. It has been a market town since the Middle Ages, serving the cities and villages in the vicinity, but it is perhaps best known in modern times for its university. Loughborough is in the middle of a triangle formed by Leicester, Nottingham and Derby (all of which have their counties named after them), which are all roughly 10 miles (16 km) distant. Loughborough is served by the M1 motorway, and the A6 runs through the town on its way to Leicester. The town has good railway links to the aforementioned cites.
Loughborough University is generally regarded as being one of the best universities in the nation, but if its sports and engineering subjects are isolated, it could easily be in the top three or four. Much groundbreaking research has gone on in these fields, and the university attracts sporting coaches and strategists, aerospace engineers and students of certain crossover disciplines such as motor racing. Although best known for these technical disciplines, the university does offer the full range of subjects.
Loughborough is not particularly industrialised, but it does have several technical and research parks that are linked to the university. The town remains a thriving market town and the student population ensures its entertainment and nightlife needs to be kept well stocked. Taken together, this could be promising for anyone seeking Purchasing Analyst work in Loughborough itself, but with three quite industrialised cities on the doorstep, the outlook appears even brighter.
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Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
Cast UK were founded by specialists in the fields, and our consultants are all from these backgrounds too, so we have in-depth knowledge of what employers and candidates are looking for. Employers come to us to find candidates because they’re confident that we’ll help them find the most appropriate managers and executives.
If you’re moving house, please see if there are any positions available in the area you’re moving to; and if you’re simply looking for more fulfilment in your working life, there could be an employer looking for the skills you have. Cast UK have jobs all over the UK, so we are well placed to find you work in logistics, procurement or supply chain wherever you are located or plan to locate.
When we have your details, we’ll be able to start matching you with positions as soon as they arise, so do get in touch if you’re looking for a job in procurement.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Purchasing Analyst for your business or find you a job as a Purchasing Analyst then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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