Purchasing Assistant Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

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Your job description is the first touchpoint between your company and your new hire. With millions of people searching for jobs on Indeed each month, a great job description can help you attract the most qualified candidates to your open position. To get you started, here are some tips for creating an effective job description.

Purchasing Assistant job title

A great job title typically includes a general term, level of experience and any special requirements. The general term will optimise your job title to show up in a general search for jobs of the same nature. The level of experience will help you attract the most qualified applicants by outlining the amount of responsibility and prior knowledge required. And if your position is specialised, consider including the specialisation in the job title as well. But avoid using internal titles, abbreviations or acronyms to make sure people understand what your job posting is before clicking.

  • Purchasing Assistant
  • Senior Purchasing Assistant
  • Purchasing Assistant (with Genius ERP proficiency)
  • Purchasing Assistant (Part-Time)
  • Assistant Buyer

Hire your next Purchasing Assistant today.

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Hire your next Purchasing Assistant today.

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Purchasing Assistant Job Description Examples:

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

Purchasing Assistant job summary

A great job description starts with a compelling summary of the position and its role within your company. Your summary should provide an overview of your company and expectations for the position. Outline the types of activities and responsibilities required for the job so job seekers can determine if they are qualified, or if the job is a good fit.

Example of a Purchasing Assistant job summary

Our organisation is seeking a Purchasing Assistant to help maintain our supply inventory levels and negotiate deals with potential vendors. The Purchasing Assistant will be responsible for learning company purchasing policies and procedures, and maintaining supply inventory levels required for effective company operation. The successful candidate will also be charged with conducting regular price comparisons to ensure that the company is always getting the best price for each product that is purchased.

Purchasing Assistant responsibilities and duties

The responsibilities and duties section is the most important part of the job description. Here you should outline the functions this position will perform on a regular basis, how the job functions within the organisation and who the employee reports to.

  • Maintain strong working relationships with our vendors
  • Review purchasing agreements with vendors and maintain open lines of communications with those vendors
  • Develop an active process for measuring supply inventory and determining purchasing needs based on quarterly and annual numbers
  • Stay up to date with industry trends and establish long-term purchasing arrangements with vendors when it is beneficial to the company
  • Compare product deliveries with issued purchase orders and contact vendors when there are discrepancies

Purchasing Assistant qualifications and skills

Next, outline the required and preferred skills for your position. This may include education, previous job experience, certifications and technical skills. You may also include soft skills and personality traits that you envision for a successful hire. While it may be tempting to include a long list of skills and requirements, including too many could dissuade qualified candidates from applying. Keep your list of qualifications concise, but provide enough detail with relevant keywords and terms.

  • School leaver’s certificate required (tertiary qualification preferred)
  • 3+ years’ experience in a purchasing role
  • Excellent communication and negotiation skills
  • Proven history of effective supply management
  • Able to create and administer a task priority list based on company needs

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Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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