Assistant Buyer

OCU Group; Stockport; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

OCU Group in Stockport is seeking an Assistant Buyer to join our Procurement team. You will support end-to-end procurement, build supplier relationships, and ensure spend is controlled.

This role offers exposure across supplier management, cost analysis, contract support and the procure-to-pay process, with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.

If you have experience in purchasing or supply chain and want to develop your career in a fast-paced environment, apply now.

Qualifications

• Experience in Purchasing, Procurement, Buying or Supply Chain.
• Understanding of the procure-to-pay process.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Support the end-to-end procurement process from requisition to purchase order.
• Build and maintain relationships with suppliers and service providers.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand purchasing requirements and plan demand.
• Assist with pricing negotiations, supplier agreements and SLAs.
• Review supplier quotations, contracts, terms and specifications.
• Ensure purchasing activity aligns with company policies and procurement requirements.
• Work with Accounts Payable to support procure-to-pay and resolve queries.
• Monitor supplier performance and delivery, addressing issues as needed.
• Identify alternative suppliers to reduce risk and improve resilience.
• Review procurement data to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Support supplier compliance and diversity initiatives.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and supplier records.

Skills

Communication

Relationship building

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Commercial awareness

Problem solving

Adaptability

Education

Procurement/Supply Chain qualification or CIPS

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Assistant Buyer

Application Deadline: 25 October 2026

Department: Corporate Services

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Stockport - Finance Hub

Reporting To: Anthony Madden

Description

The Opportunity

Due to continued growth, we are looking for an Assistant Buyer to join our Procurement team at OCU Group.

This is a great opportunity for someone with experience in purchasing, procurement or supply chain who is looking to develop their career within a fast-paced and growing business.

Working closely with internal stakeholders and suppliers, you will support the procurement of goods and services across the business. You'll play an important role in ensuring requirements are sourced efficiently, suppliers are managed effectively and spend is controlled.

This is a varied role offering exposure across supplier management, purchasing, cost analysis, contract support and the wider procure-to-pay process.

What you'll do

• Support the end-to-end procurement process, from initial requisition through to purchase order placement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and service providers.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to understand purchasing requirements and support future demand planning.
• Support the negotiation of pricing, supplier agreements and service levels.
• Assist with reviewing supplier quotations, contracts, terms and specifications.
• Ensure purchasing activity is completed in line with company policies, procedures and procurement requirements.
• Work closely with the Accounts Payable team to support an efficient procure-to-pay process and resolve purchasing queries.
• Monitor supplier performance, delivery requirements and invoice accuracy, addressing issues where required.
• Support the identification of alternative suppliers and sourcing options to reduce risk and improve supply chain resilience.
• Review procurement and spend data to identify opportunities for cost savings and improved efficiency.
• Support supplier compliance and diversity initiatives.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and supplier records.

What you'll bring

Essential

• Previous experience within a Purchasing, Procurement, Buying or Supply Chain environment.
• Good understanding of the purchasing and procure-to-pay process.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence working with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of cost and value.
• A proactive approach with strong problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience within Construction, Utilities, Energy, Infrastructure or a similar operational environment.
• Experience negotiating with suppliers and supporting commercial agreements.
• Exposure to supplier performance management, KPIs or SLAs.
• Experience using procurement, ERP or purchasing systems.
• Experience reviewing procurement or spend data.
• Understanding of contracts, supplier terms and conditions.
• A relevant qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain or CIPS