Purchasing Assistant (Fixed Term)

1000 Robert McBride Ltd; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

McBride is seeking a Purchasing Assistant to join the Operational pool for a 12-month fixed-term contract in the UK. The role supports Buyers and Purchasing Managers with procurement admin, data entry in SAP, supplier setup, and cost-saving initiatives.

You will handle routine price requests, forecasts, and administrative tasks while ensuring compliance with company procedures and timelines.

Responsibilities

• Manage routine price requests from McBride customers, obtain quotations, and give internal feedback within timelines.
• Request updated volume forecasts from sites/divisional teams and report actual vs contracted volumes.
• Keep SAP up-to-date with Info Records, Source Lists, Vendors and Master Data to place POs with audit trail.
• Create/modify suppliers per policy and required documentation.
• Respond to invoice anomalies and coordinate with Buyers to resolve.
• Input COP cost-saving proposals and manage project status from start to finish.
• Handle day-to-day admin tasks (phone, meetings, filing, data maintenance).
• Assist in training new colleagues in the Purchasing Assistant pool.

Job description

If you are ambitious, self-motivated, hardworking and a team player and interested in growing your career with an International FMCG business, please read through our job opportunity. An opportunity (12 months fixed term) has arisen to work as part of a Purchasing Assistant "Operational" pool to assist any Buyers and Purchasing Managers with administrative tasks related to procurement initiatives. Core activities are to be undertaken in line with documented procedures and based on standardised ways-of-working.

Key Responsibilities:

• Management of routine price requests coming in to the Purchasing Team from McBride customers, sharing enquiries with suppliers, obtaining quotations and providing internal feedback by return within pre-agreed timelines.
• Upon the request of the Buyer / Purchasing Manager request updated volume forecasts from the sites / divisional teams, and provide reports on actual versus contracted volumes.
• Ensuring that the SAP system is fully up-to-date with all relevant Purchasing information, (for example, Info Records, Source Lists, Vendor and Master Data), so that purchase orders can be placed and that there is an evident audit trail.
• Initiate where instructed the creation, modification or extension of suppliers using the required documentation and adhering to company policy regarding authorisation.
• Respond to invoice anomalies, collating facts and sharing conclusions with the appropriate Buyer or Purchasing manager to achieve a resolution.
• Upon the request of a Buyer or Purchasing manager, input cost saving proposals (COP initiatives) internally, managing the project status from start to completion.
• Conducting day-to-day administrative tasks (for example, answering telephones, booking meetings, filing, contact data maintenance).
• Assist in training new colleagues working in the Purchasing Assistant "Operational" pool.

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McBride is the leading supplier of Private Label Household and professional cleaning/hygiene products for Europe's largest and most successful retailers as well as producing own brand products. The formula for our success is quite straightforward: we work by our Key Values – Always Committed, Working Together, Aspire to be the best and Giving and Taking Accountability to create a positive environment for all McBride employees.