Assistant Buyer

MacFarlane Group; Northeastern Ontario; On-site; CAD 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging distributor based in Sudbury seeks an Assistant Buyer to join their procurement team. The role involves supporting daily procurement activities, maintaining stock levels, and developing cost-effective purchasing strategies. Key requirements include strong negotiation skills and proficiency in MS Office. The company offers comprehensive training and a range of benefits including flexible holiday leave, pension schemes, and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

25 days annual leave, rising to 27

Contributory pension scheme

Flexible employee benefits

Employee assistance program

Extensive training and development opportunities

Employee discount scheme

Annual paid Volunteering Day

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Qualifications

• Experience working in a commercial environment.
• No prior procurement or purchasing experience necessary.
• Strong computer literacy, especially in Excel spreadsheets.

Responsibilities

• Support the local team of buyers with procurement activity.
• Purchase standard and non-standard stock items.
• Administer purchase orders and associated administration.
• Liaise with suppliers and seek alternatives when necessary.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Customer Service

Strong attention to detail

Computer Literacy (MS Office)

Job description

Assistant Buyer

Location : Sudbury

Pack age : Basic Salary up to £23,000 (dependent on experience) plus bonus & flexible benefits package, with up to 27 days holiday (Plus additional annual leave purchasing scheme)

Sector : Packaging distribution

The Company

We, the UK’s largest packaging distributor have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Buyer to join our procurement team based in Sudbury. We are a committed equal opportunities employer that champions ‘dignity in the workplace’. Our focus is to provide customers with fully integrated and innovative packaging solutions, augmented by outstanding customer service. Our procurement functionality is a vital part of our solution offering and we continually invest in the professional development of our team including professional accredited training.

The Assistant Buyer Role

Working as a member of our local procurement team, your role will support the site at which you are based whilst upholding the company wide National procurement strategy.

Within this role you will gain varied exposure to wider procurement tasks and scenarios whilst actively focusing on ensuring that correct stock / inventory levels are ordered and held for customers.

Assistant Buyer Key Duties

• Directly supporting the local team of buyers with day-to-day procurement activity
• To purchase standard and non-standard stock items, maintaining cost effective stock levels
• Develop a full understanding of the total supply chain function
• Actively seek to reduce stock holding and material costs
• To ensure that purchasing transactions are carried out in the timeliest and cost-effective manner
• Administer purchase orders and all other associated administration
• Liaise with existing suppliers and source alternative suppliers when necessary
• Develop awareness of the profit implication of stock holding costs, including redundant and damaged stock
• Develop and maintain a good knowledge of all packaging solutions

Do you have the correct profile?

We certainly welcome your application if you have gained experience of working within a commercial environment and can demonstrate transferable skills including negotiation, communication and customer service. Please note no prior experience within procurement or purchasing is necessary as full training and a clear pathway for development will be provided. As a minimum requirement, we do also seek strong computer literacy (MS Office to include Excel spreadsheets) & strong attention to detail. You will also ideally have some previous experience of working within a small office-based team.

Our Benefits

We provide a competitive basic starting salary and operate a range of rewarding bonus / incentive schemes. Our flexible employee benefits can include :

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public / bank holidays
• Contributory pension scheme
• Free parking at many of our site locations
• Range of company cars or cash allowance (including electric) for qualifying roles
• Employee assistance program to support & advise with well-being & any issues
• Extensive range of training / development & potential progression opportunities
• Employee discount scheme (discounts on several major retail / leisure brands)
• Annual paid Volunteering Day
• Simply Health / Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles
• Tax free childcare (TFC) scheme
• Enhanced maternity & paternity payLong service awards (5-40 years)
• Charitable giving options
• Financial support with eye-tests / purchasing glasses (DSE users only)
• O2 Mobile discount scheme (up to 25% off)

Your future with us

Here at Macfarlane Group, you truly have the potential to shape your own future and set your own ambitions. We are a large group company where internal promotion and mobility is a key feature of our success. Through tailored career plans, we provide a wide range of structure training & development pathways, utilizing both inhouse expertise to share knowledge and the best-in-class external training partners. There is potential access to management & leadership development, and we work closely with recognized, accredited bodies including the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) & the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS); so there really are no limits to where your journey within Macfarlane Group may take you long term.