graduate or Junior Assistant Buyer / procurement administrator

Wave Recruitment; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing Engineering and Defence firm in Bristol is seeking a Graduate or Junior Assistant Procurement Officer / Buyer. This entry-level role involves converting purchase requisitions, managing supplier relationships, and supporting order management. No prior experience is required, but strong communication skills and proficiency in Excel are essential. Enjoy a collaborative culture with benefits such as profit sharing and support for professional qualifications.

Benefits

Profit share bonus

Support for professional qualifications

Collaborative culture

Qualifications

• No prior experience required, but strong transferable skills needed.
• Willingness to network and communicate directly.
• Experience in marketing, sales, admin, or office management is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Convert purchase requisitions into purchase orders.
• Prepare and review RFQs, recommend preferred suppliers.
• Maintain supplier relationships and support performance improvement.
• Manage goods-in and invoice queries.
• Ensure ERP data accuracy and pricing validity.
• Support tendering and sourcing alongside Procurement Manager.
• Assist in resolving supply chain bottlenecks.

Skills

Attention to detail for data entry

Strong Excel skills

Communication and networking

Education

Degree-level qualification (or working towards)

Tools

Excel

Microsoft Project

Job description

graduate or Junior Assistant Buyer / procurement administrator

Location: Central Bristol

Onsite: 4x days a week with Friday as WFH

Benefits: Profit share bonus, support for professional qualifications

Our Culture: We are a fast growing start up, but we are a close group who enjoy Nando nights out and nights out! we are blessed to have a mix of all ages where we really adopt the work hard play hard culture if that's what you want to be a part of!

We want to take graduates and juniors who want to have the opportunity to train and develop into much bigger roles in the long run and work with huge defence clients.

Overview

The Role: Assistant Procurement Officer / Buyer to support tactical sourcing and orderbook management within a Bristol-based Engineering & Defence SME delivering complex manufacturing and critical services to Rolls Royce and the MoD. Following recent MoD contract wins, we re expanding our supply chain capability to support growth.

You'll be joining a small, inclusive team where your impact will be visible and valued.

You DO NOT need experience as a buyer or in procurement to be necessary as we will train and develop your skills BUT you must have transferable skills and be happy to network, pick up the phone rather than email!

Many of our junior assistant buyers / procurement officers come from a marketing or sales background, admin or junior office management.

You will need to have attention to detail for data entry as this role is Excell heavy!

Key Responsibilities

• Convert purchase requisitions into purchase orders
• Prepare and review RFQs, recommend preferred suppliers
• Maintain supplier relationships and support performance improvement
• Manage goods-in and invoice queries
• Ensure ERP data accuracy and pricing validity
• Support tendering and sourcing alongside Procurement Manager
• Assist in resolving supply chain bottlenecks

Requirements

• Degree-level qualification (or working towards)
• Project management experience in procurement (Defence sector preferred)
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills
• Microsoft Project familiarity (desirable)
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel

Why Join Us?

We offer a collaborative culture that values integrity, innovation, and professional growth. You'll be supported with funded qualifications, a competitive salary, and a profit share scheme. We re committed to work-life balance and welcome candidates from all backgrounds.