Purchasing Specialist

Exclusively Remote; Durban; On-site; ZAR 280,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Exclusively Remote in Durban is seeking a Purchasing Specialist to act as the operational backbone of our procurement team, ensuring ERP and purchasing portal data integrity, executing POs, and coordinating international logistics.

You will analyze daily and weekly purchasing and inventory reports, communicate with vendors, and collaborate with warehouse, Finance, and Product Development to keep shipments on track.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in purchasing/procurement or inventory management.
• Advanced Excel skills including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables.
• Strong data accuracy in high-volume environments.
• Excellent cross-functional communication with Sales, Finance, and Vendors.
• Able to adapt working hours to overseas time zones.
• Self-motivated team player with organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Synchronize data feeds into purchasing portals and ERP, filling gaps when needed.
• Prepare and analyze daily/weekly purchasing and inventory reports for execs.
• Generate and release POs to vendors based on approved directives.
• Manage end-to-end incoming bid orders with coordination.
• Field vendor communications and escalate PO adjustments for approval.
• Maintain vendor metrics in Acumatica with price updates and MOQs.
• Coordinate with warehouse to resolve packing issues and shortages.
• Track orders and shipping timelines with overseas teams and freight forwarders.
• Coordinate weekly payment schedules with Finance and vendors.
• Update Product Information Management (PIM) system with PD.

Skills

Purchasing experience

Advanced Excel

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Adaptability to time zones

Self-motivated

Data analysis

Tools

Acumatica ERP

NetSuite

SAP

PIM systems

Job description

Purchasing Specialist

Full-Time position

Hours: 3pm to 11pm (SA Times)

Position Summary

The Purchasing Specialist serves as the operational backbone of our procurement department, bridging the gap between high-level executive purchasing directives and day-to-day execution. This role is responsible for maintaining flawless ERP and purchasing portal data integrity, executing purchase orders, managing incoming bid orders, coordinating international supply chain logistics, and generating actionable daily and weekly reports for executive decision-making. The ideal candidate is tech-savvy, highly organized, advanced in Excel, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Ensure all data feeds are properly synchronized into purchasing portals and Acumatica ERP, performing manual uploads and gap-filling when automated feeds are unavailable.
• Clean, prepare, and analyze daily and weekly purchasing and inventory reports for executive review, presenting channel sales, pricing, and container quantity data clearly and professionally.
• Generate, verify, and release all Purchase Orders (POs) to vendors strictly based on approved executive directives.
• Manage incoming bid orders end-to-end, including initial purchasing, physical sample coordination, final delivery tracking, and cross-departmental billing alignment.
• Field daily vendor correspondence, intercepting suggested PO adjustments (such as price changes or quantity limits) and escalating them for approval.
• Maintain master database accuracy in Acumatica by continuously updating vendor metrics including price updates, corrected CBMs, master carton quantities, and MOQs.
• Partner closely with the warehouse team to resolve packing issues and discrepancies, and work with the warehouse and vendor to trace, correct, and close out any shortages or errors.
• Coordinate scheduling with the warehouse to ensure adequate receiving capacity for incoming shipments.
• Track open orders and container transit cycles daily, communicating continuously with overseas teams, suppliers, and freight forwarders to update lead times and manage shipping administration.
• Coordinate weekly payment schedules in close collaboration with Finance and vendors to ensure timely execution.
• Enter and maintain item records in Acumatica and collaborate with Product Development (PD) to regularly update the Product Information Management (PIM) system.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a purchasing, procurement, or inventory management role required.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, data cleaning, and handling complex spreadsheets).
• Strong technical savvy with the ability to quickly master new software, portals, and data management workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high data accuracy and attention to detail in high-volume environments.
• Strong cross-functional communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with Sales, DEV, Product Development, Finance, and vendors.
• High level of adaptability and flexibility to work flexible hours to account for overseas vendor time zones.
• Self-motivated team player with strong organizational and multi-tasking abilities.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Acumatica ERP or major enterprise ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP).
• Familiarity with supply chain concepts, international shipping, CBM calculations, container transit, and MOQs.
• Experience in e-commerce or multi-channel retail operations.
• Familiarity with Product Information Management (PIM) systems.