Procurement Assistant

Adecco; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Adecco Group UK & Ireland is seeking a proactive Procurement Assistant on a 7-month contract to support the Trust's procurement service. The role covers first-line support, purchasing activities, system maintenance and ensuring timely supply for clinical and non-clinical operations.

You will work within the Procurement and Supplies team, liaising with suppliers and internal staff, processing requisitions, managing e-procurement tools, and helping drive value for money while adhering to GDPR and

Qualifications

• Proactive and organised with strong administrative abilities.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Experience using computerised purchasing, inventory or finance systems.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Experience liaising with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-line procurement support and advice staff.
• Assist customers with purchasing queries, ordering issues, and procurement procedures.
• Communicate with suppliers via telephone, email, and online systems.
• Escalate complex procurement issues to senior staff.
• Encourage the use of approved contracts and compliant procurement routes.
• Support staff training on e-procurement and online ordering systems.
• Process purchase requisitions and orders accurately.
• Ensure correct suppliers, pricing, and descriptions on requests.
• Liaise with suppliers regarding deliveries, returns, queries.
• Arrange emergency deliveries when required.
• Support sourcing activities by researching products, services, and suppliers.
• Coordinate product samples and equipment trials.
• Provide helpdesk support for e-procurement users.
• Maintain purchasing catalogues and supplier information.
• Monitor requisitions, emails, and workflow queues for timely processing.
• Assist with system updates, user guides, and documentation.
• Log and manage procurement-related incidents.
• Assist in analysing procurement spend and trends.
• Support catalogue systems and contract monitoring processes.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings.
• Use spend comparison tools to support initiatives.
• Investigate invoice and finance queries.
• Process and check orders against approved contracts.
• Undertake general stores duties including ordering, receipting stock, maintaining inventory records, issuing goods, stock checks and stock takes.
• Support PPE stock levels and reorder processes.
• Assist inventory system maintenance.

Skills

Organisational skills

Customer service

Procurement systems

Prioritisation

Attention to detail

Stakeholder liaison

Teamwork

Job description

Procurement Assistant

Overview

We are seeking a proactive and organised Procurement Assistant to support the delivery of an efficient and compliant procurement service across the Trust for a 7-month contract. Working within the Procurement and Supplies team, you will provide first-line support to internal customers, assist with purchasing activities, maintain procurement systems, and ensure the timely supply of goods and services that support both clinical and non-clinical operations.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement & Customer Support

• Provide first-line procurement support and advice staff.
• Assist customers with purchasing queries, ordering issues, and procurement procedures.
• Communicate with suppliers and stakeholders via telephone, email, and online systems.
• Escalate complex procurement issues to senior Procurement Officers.
• Encourage the use of approved contracts and compliant procurement routes.
• Support delivery of staff training on e-procurement and online ordering systems.

Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Process purchase requisitions and orders accurately and efficiently.
• Ensure correct suppliers, pricing, product descriptions, and supporting documentation are included on purchase requests.
• Liaise with suppliers regarding deliveries, returns, product queries, and discrepancies.
• Arrange emergency deliveries where required.
• Support sourcing activities by researching products, services, and suppliers.
• Coordinate product samples and equipment trials when required.

E-Procurement Systems & Administration

• Provide helpdesk support for e-procurement users.
• Maintain purchasing catalogues and supplier information within procurement systems.
• Monitor requisitions, emails, and workflow queues to ensure timely processing.
• Assist with system updates, user guides, and procedural documentation.
• Log and manage procurement-related system incidents through support services.

Data Analysis & Financial Support

• Assist in analysing procurement spend and purchasing trends.
• Support the development of catalogue systems and contract monitoring processes.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings and value-for-money improvements.
• Use spend comparison tools to support procurement initiatives.
• Investigate invoice and finance queries as required.
• Process and check orders against approved contracts.

Stores & Inventory Management

• Undertake general stores duties including:
  • Ordering and receipting stock
  • Maintaining inventory records
  • Issuing goods
  • Assisting with stock checks and stock takes
• Support the management of PPE stock levels and reorder processes.
• Assist with inventory system maintenance and monitoring.

Compliance & Governance

• Maintain accurate procurement records and documentation.
• Carry out regular quality checks and audits on own work.
• Ensure all purchasing activities comply with Trust policies and procurement regulations.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with GDPR, Data Protection legislation, and information governance standards.
• Contribute to business continuity arrangements and procurement resilience planning.

Skills & Experience

• Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
• Strong communication and customer service abilities.
• Experience using computerised purchasing, inventory, or finance systems.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work to deadlines.
• Good attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Experience liaising with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

What We're Looking For

• A proactive and customer-focused approach.
• Strong problem-solving and negotiation skills.
• Commitment to delivering value for money and excellent service.
• Ability to build positive working relationships with colleagues and suppliers.
• Understanding of values and commitment to supporting patient care through effective procurement practices.

The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.