Supplier Sourcing & Business Development Virtual Assistant
Virtual Colleague
An application made for this job — a tailored resume and cover letter that speak straight to the posting.
Job summary
Australian chemical distribution and logistics company is seeking a proactive Virtual Assistant to support supplier sourcing, procurement research, customer inquiries and business development. The role focuses on building scalable supplier networks and enabling international growth, with emphasis on documentation, CRM upkeep, and email-based communications.
The position is part-time (10 hours per week) and remote, with a view to long-term progression into leadership as the company expands its PH
Qualifications
- Experience in procurement, sourcing, or logistics is preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication via email.
- Comfort with researching suppliers and building databases.
- Familiarity with CRM systems and data management
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
Responsibilities
- Research Australian and international chemical suppliers.
- Build and maintain a centralized supplier database.
- Handle supplier inquiries, quotes, and catalogs.
- Coordinate documentation and records for compliance.
- Support customer inquiries and lead qualification.
Skills
Tools
Job description
Supplier Sourcing & Business Development VirtualAssistant
(Chemical Supply Chain & Procurement Support)
About the Company
An Australian chemical distribution and logistics companyspecializing in sourcing, supplying, and distributing chemicals across variousindustries including mining, manufacturing, construction, agriculture,laboratories, universities, and research institutions.
The company sources products locally within Australia andinternationally across Asia—including India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, andVietnam to provide customers with competitive pricing and reliable logisticssolutions.
With increasing customer demand and expansion plans into NewZealand, North America, Europe, and Asia, the business is looking for its firstlong-term Virtual Assistant who can help build scalable supplier networks andcustomer relationships while supporting future international growth.
Position Overview
We are seeking a proactive, highly organized, andcommercially minded Virtual Assistant to support supplier sourcing, procurementresearch, customer inquiries, and business development.
Unlike a traditional administrative VA, this role requiressomeone who enjoys research, relationship building, and creating organizedsystems that will allow the company to scale internationally.
The successful candidate will become a key member of thebusiness, helping establish supplier databases, communicate with manufacturersand distributors worldwide, assist with customer quotations, and eventuallygrow into a leadership role managing future VAs as the company expands.
Primary Responsibilities
- ResearchAustralian chemical suppliers
- Researchinternational suppliers across:
- India
- China
- Malaysia
- Vietnam
- Buildand maintain a centralized supplier database
- Gathersupplier product catalogs
- Identifypreferred suppliers by region
- Products
- Geographiclocation
- Leadtimes
- Logisticscapability
- Maintainupdated supplier records
The client emphasized that creating a comprehensive supplierdatabase is one of the highest priorities for scaling the business.
Procurement & Sourcing Support
- Sourceproducts based on customer inquiries
- Requestquotations
- Gatherproduct specifications
- Monitorpricing trends
- Assistwith procurement decisions
- Supportlogistics coordination
- Reachout to suppliers via professional email
- Requestcatalogs and pricing
- Followup on outstanding requests
- Coordinatedocumentation
- Maintaincommunication records
- Escalatesupplier issues when necessary
Customer Inquiry Support
- Respondto inbound customer inquiries
- Assistin gathering quotation information
- Coordinatecustomer requests
- Followup on sales inquiries
- Assistwith lead qualification
- Supportproposal preparation
The VA will initially support existing inquiries beforeproactively expanding supplier and customer networks.
Sales & Business Development
- Conductmarket research
- Researchpotential customers
- Identifycompanies requiring chemical products
- MaintainCRM/database
- Followup on sales opportunities
- Supportbusiness growth initiatives
- Assistwith regional expansion
Documentation & Compliance Support
- OrganizeSafety Data Sheets (SDS)
- Assistwith Australian regulatory documentation
The client plans to build an Australian-compliant library ofSafety Data Sheets that the VA will help organize and distribute to customers.
Administrative Support
- Emailmanagement
- Dataentry
- Documentationmanagement
- Spreadsheetmaintenance
- Reporting
- Fileorganization
- Processdocumentation
Occasional Phone Support
Although approximately 90% of communication is via email,the VA may occasionally:
- Receiveinbound calls
- Makeoutbound calls
- Clarifycustomer requirements
- Contactsuppliers when urgent clarification is needed
The client expects phone communication to be infrequent andprimarily for urgent matters.
This position is designed as a long-term role withsignificant career progression.
Future responsibilities may include:
- Supportinginternational expansion
- Processimprovement
- Businessoperations coordination
The client specifically shared his vision of establishing asatellite office in the Philippines, with the first VA potentially growing intoa Team Leader role.
Required Skills
Technical Skills
- Emailcommunication
- Excel/ Google Sheets
- Databasemanagement
- Documentationmanagement
- CRMexperience (preferred)
- MicrosoftOutlook
- Businesswriting
Preferred Background
Experience in one or more of the following:
- Procurement
- Purchasing
- Logistics
- Manufacturing
- BusinessDevelopment
Chemical industry experience is preferred but not mandatory,as training will be provided.
Soft Skills
The client specifically highlighted the following qualities:
- Professionalcommunication
- Stronginterpersonal skills
- Timemanagement
- Resiliencewhen dealing with difficult suppliers or customers
- Abilityto represent the company professionally
- Strongorganizational skills
- Initiative
- Long-termmindset
Tools
The VA will primarily work with:
- MicrosoftOutlook
- MicrosoftOffice
- Excel
- Sharedemail accounts
- Onlineresearch platforms
- Companywebsite
- FutureCRM/database systems
Potential future tools:
- Cloud-basedphone system
- CRMplatform
Working Hours
Part-Time
- Initialcommitment:
- 10hours per week
- Dailyconsistency preferred rather than completing all hours in one day
- Availabilityfor occasional urgent requests
The client emphasized that the work should be spreadconsistently throughout the week to ensure timely supplier and customerfollow-ups.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal VA is someone who:
- Thinksproactively
- Canbuild organized systems
- Lovessolving problems
- Communicatesprofessionally
- Iscomfortable working independently
- Wantsto become part of a growing international business
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