Assistant Buyer - Engineering/Manufacturing

People First Supply Chain; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A global procurement firm is seeking an Assistant Buyer for their Engineering Department. The role involves sourcing spare parts and assemblies for manufacturing, with a focus on the Middle East market. Applicants should have experience in engineering procurement, familiarity with SAP, and strong communication skills. This hybrid position requires working four days in the office and one from home. Competitive advantages include exposure to international supply chains and ample career development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Buying experience in engineering or manufacturing.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of procurement principles.
• Ability to evaluate suppliers and negotiate favourable terms.
• Ability to evaluate suppliers and negotiate terms.
• Strong numerical skills and high computer literacy.
• Proficient with MS Office tools.
• English language fluency; additional European languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Understand internal stakeholder requirements and prepare Requests for Quotation (RFQs).
• Negotiating pricing, lead times, and commercial terms with vendors.
• Raising and processing purchase orders.
• Raise and process purchase orders.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times and terms with vendors.
• Maintain data in SAP and generate management reports.
• Develop vendors to meet quality and logistics requirements.
• Respond to inquiries and update product materials.

Skills

Procurement

Manufacturing

SAP

Order Processing

Engineering

Communication skills

Numerical skills

Tools

SAP Business One

MS Office

Job description

Assistant Buyer - Engineering/Manufacturing

Join to apply for the Assistant Buyer - Engineering/Manufacturing role at People First Supply Chain

People First Supply Chain provided pay range

This range is provided by People First Supply Chain. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Your New Job Title: Assistant Buyer - Engineering/Manufacturing

The Skills You'll Need: Procurement, Manufacturing, SAP, Order Processing, Engineering

Location: Central London, hybrid four days in office, one at home (Five days in the office during probation)

Job status: Permanent

Working hours: Monday to Friday 9 - 5 pm

Who You'll Be Working for: Global raw materials trader.

Responsibilities

The Assistant Buyer role sits within the Engineering Department of a diversified international group operating across more than seven countries worldwide. Based at the London office, the role forms part of an international engineering procurement team responsible for sourcing spare parts and assemblies for manufacturing industries, primarily serving the Middle East market.

The role offers exposure to sourcing products from Europe and the Far East, providing valuable insight into international supply chains and global procurement practices. There is clear scope for career progression within the department.

• Understanding internal stakeholder requirements and preparing Requests for Quotation (RFQs) accurately and efficiently
• Receiving, analysing, comparing, and evaluating supplier quotations
• Prepare cost comparison sheets and calculate margins.
• Preparing customer and internal offers using the company’s bespoke SAP system
• Negotiating pricing, lead times, and commercial terms with vendors
• Raising and processing purchase orders
• Preparing procurement and management reports
• Selection and development of vendors to best meet the specifications, quality and logistical requirements.
• Ensuring accurate and timely data entry within the in-house SAP system
• Typing, proof reading and production of correspondence and documents using in-house style compliant templates
• Monitoring and responding to telephone and email enquiries on behalf of the engineering team
• Updating product brochures, catalogues, and marketing materials as required
• Database management

Qualifications & Skills

• Buying experience in engineering or manufacturing.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of procurement principles
• Familiarity with INCO terms & Forex / Exchange rates as this is an international Trading environment.
• Ability to evaluate suppliers and negotiate favourable terms of business.
• Hands on ability to manage and enter enquiries, quotations and contracts onto computer systems.
• Strong numerical skills and high level of computer literacy
• Good communication skills both verbal and written
• Demonstrated experience with ERP systems is highly desirable, particularly SAP Business One
• Language skills Fluency in English.
• Knowledge of European languages would be an added advantage.
• High attention to detail, with a methodical and organised approach to work
• A proactive, flexible, and “can-do” attitude
• Have a flexible approach to working hours when necessary
• Have the ability to prioritise work effectively
• Be a confident user of MS Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Have ability and enthusiasm for learning new systems and IT packages. Training will be given on SAP Business One

We would be grateful if you could send your CV as a Word document. If your application is successful, you will be contacted within 7 days. We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive we cannot provide feedback on individual CVs. Please note that we can only consider candidates who are eligible to work in the UK and are able to provide relevant supporting documentation.

People First is committed to increasing diversity, and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, year of birth, relationship status or whether or not they have a disability.

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Seniority level: Associate

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Supply Chain, Administrative, and Purchasing

Industries: International Trade and Development