Buyer Career Profile

Buyer

A typical Buyer role is to help control and manage purchasing of a designated portfolio of materials/services depending on the nature of the organisation. The buyer is generally responsible for strategies to deliver improved value for money and supplier performance and requires a balance of procurement expertise, appropriate specialist experience with well-developed negotiation, and contract management skills.

Buyers will be expected to work closely with stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes against business plans. The buyer may also typically be responsible for analysis and management of inventory, while ensuring other key process metrics of the organisation are met. The development and maintenance of the supply chain for the business unit will also be a key expectation of the role of a Buyer.

Typical Duties of a Buyer include

• To help deliver Supply Chain Objectives
• To deliver measurable improvements in value for money
• Knowledge of contracts
• Help maximise supplier performance
• To help develop and deliver procurement strategies
• To develop and maintain strong internal and external stakeholder relationships

Key skills of a typical buyer should possess are

• 3rd level qualification in Business, Materials Management, Supply Chain Management/Logistics or other equivalent is required
• Three years plus experience in a buying/purchasing environment
• Knowledge of company areas of spend (this tends to be industry specific)
• High commercial acumen
• Ability to deliver results
• Strong interpersonal and team working skills essential
• An understanding of business operations
• PC literate