Junior Buyer jobs
Procurement is a job that might look pretty straightforward on the face of it, but actually involves a good deal of skill and experience, not to mention a little black book full of contacts, to make it work successfully. However there are also many tasks in the job, such as routinely seeking out new clients and making initial contact with them, which many companies can consider inefficient use of procurement expertise , which can be costly.
This is why larger companies will employ junior buyers. They will probably be business graduates, young, able people starting out on their procurement careers but not experienced enough to be entrusted with running a department themselves. Reporting to a senior buyer or purchasing manager, they will be given relatively rigid instructions such as researching very specific data or they will be given lists of contacts to approach with propositions or enquiries, but the bulk of any negotiation, data interpretation, decision-making and sign-offs will be passed to those above him or her.
However, the junior buyer will, as time goes by and as she or he becomes more familiar with the job, gradually start to take more of the initiative when it comes to making decisions. Eventually they will drop the “junior” tag and become simply a buyer or a senior buyer as they make their way up the corporate ladder.
The skills required
Junior buyers will generally be sourced from the graduate pool, perhaps business graduates or possibly those who graduated in a field related to the company’s main sector. However, people without degrees might be considered if they have experience of a sales or buying position elsewhere.
Applicants will definitely need to have a high level of numeracy and literacy, as there will be a good deal of data gathering and communication in the job. IT skills will also be required, especially in the office solutions that are most common. Candidates should also be able to display a good deal of enthusiasm for the work and an ability to absorb information and take instructions.
Most employers will not take on junior buyers with the intention of their remaining juniors for long, however. The role will probably come with a timetable of milestones that demonstrate their growing experience and ability to perform their roles with minimal assistance as they develop.
Junior Buyer Jobs in Wallasey
After years of sailing the seven seas and bringing back cargoes and unlikely tales, the upper ranks of the merchant and military navies wanted somewhere pleasant to live, and if they weren’t fed up of the sea, one such place might have been Wallasey. The town at the northern tip of the Wirral, opposite Liverpool, sprung up for just this reason, and it was full of large homes for such seamen to retire to. The town had a small presence already in the shape of a fort and lighthouse, both to protect the port, but it was barely inhabited. New Brighton, the most resort-like part, was named after Brighton on the south coast, and it was hoped that it would emulate its success.
Wallasey’s population of around 60,000 is well connected by road, rail and sea. The M53 to Chester starts in the town and the Kingsway tunnel (known locally as the Wallasey Tunnel) picks up at the same point. By rail Wallasey is linked to Liverpool, the Wirral, North Wales and Chester, and the Mersey Ferry crosses from Wallasey’s Seacombe terminal (as well as Birkenhead). Birkenhead and Wallasey would now probably be completely merged were it not for the dock that stretches 2600 metres inland.
Wallasey is now an integral part of the Liverpool and Birkenhead conurbation, and it is no longer a retreat for retired seamen, with most of their houses being converted into bed and breakfasts or flats long ago. The town’s economy is now linked with those of its neighbouring towns and Liverpool, and that is not bad news for anyone looking for Junior Buyer work, as the region still has plenty of manufacturing and distribution industry.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
Cast UK were founded by specialists in logistics, supply chain and procurement, and our consultants are also drawn from these backgrounds, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for when they come to us. In fact, employers often approach us to find managerial and executive candidates before they are advertised, so if you’re in procurement, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Whether you’re relocating for personal reasons or are simply looking for more job fulfilment, there could well be an employer who’s looking for the skills you have. At any given time, Cast UK have jobs all over the UK, so wherever you live, or plan to live, we are well placed to find work that suits your skills.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Junior Buyer for your business or find you a job as a Junior Buyer then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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