Administrative Buyer

Administrative Buyer

Role Purpose

Manage a portfolio of direct-procurement suppliers within a complex global engineering and industrial organisation. Resolve commercial, purchasing, supply and payment issues while maintaining effective supplier and internal stakeholder relationships. Use procurement data and sound commercial judgement to improve delivery, value and process performance. Success will be measured through reliable supply, timely issue resolution, compliant purchasing activity and transparent performance information.

Key Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operational procurement activity for an assigned portfolio of direct-material suppliers.
• Source parts, materials and components in accordance with technical, commercial and delivery requirements.
• Manage price adjustments, negotiations, purchase orders, work queues and supplier communications.
• Resolve invoicing, payment, purchasing and delivery discrepancies with suppliers and internal functions.
• Support supplier qualification, selection, evaluation, development and classification activities.
• Maintain accurate procurement records and ensure adherence to purchase-to-pay controls, global processes and approved systems.
• Analyse procurement and supplier data using SAP, Excel and Power BI to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Build constructive stakeholder relationships and contribute to Lean and continuous-improvement initiatives.

Tasks

• Review demand, work queues and purchase-order requirements, taking timely action to secure supply.
• Prepare and issue sourcing enquiries and assess supplier responses against agreed criteria.
• Negotiate commercial matters and document agreed prices, terms, actions and decisions.
• Investigate blocked invoices, payment queries, order discrepancies and delivery issues through to resolution.
• Monitor supplier performance and coordinate recovery activity where quality, cost or delivery is at risk.
• Maintain complete supplier, sourcing and transaction data in SAP and supporting procurement tools.
• Prepare analysis, dashboards and reports to support business plans and procurement decisions.
• Identify and implement practical improvements to operational buying and purchase-to-pay processes.

Deliverables

• Accurate purchase orders and timely completion of assigned procurement work queues.
• Documented sourcing and commercial decisions aligned with governance requirements.
• Resolved supplier, invoice, payment and delivery issues.
• Current supplier-performance information and procurement analysis.
• Implemented process improvements that strengthen efficiency, compliance or value.

Authority / Accountability

• Manage assigned supplier relationships and routine commercial matters within delegated authority.
• Challenge suppliers and internal stakeholders where actions or information threaten cost, quality, delivery or compliance.
• Escalate material commercial, supply or governance risks with clear evidence and recommendations.
• Plan and prioritise the portfolio independently while meeting business deadlines and approved procurement processes.

Requirements

• At least three years of experience in direct procurement, operational buying or a comparable purchasing role.
• Strong supplier-management, negotiation and commercial problem-solving capability.
• Practical experience resolving purchasing, delivery, invoicing and payment issues.
• Confident transactional use of SAP; experience with procurement and ERP systems is advantageous.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience using Power BI or similar tools for analysis and reporting.
• A strong understanding of purchase-to-pay controls, procurement governance and accurate data management.
• Excellent organisation, communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to work independently.
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience and fluent English.

Working Conditions

• The assignment is expected to start as soon as possible and is offered for an initial 12 months.
• This is a fast-paced, admin-heavy position suited to candidates who thrive in such environments.