What does a Purchasing Assistant do?
A Purchasing Assistant maintains the inventory levels for an organization’s products and is responsible for negotiating deals with potential vendors and suppliers. A Purchasing Assistant is also responsible for understanding company policies and procedures, and matching them against purchasing and organizational agreements on supply inventory levels. An important task of a Purchasing Assistant is to conduct regular price comparisons to ensure that the company gets the best value for products purchased. Their core objective is to ensure the company’s operations run smoothly without product shortages or delays in fulfilling orders.
Purchasing Assistant skills and qualifications
A Purchasing Assistant must have the necessary skills and qualifications to meet set company goals. Some qualities to seek in a Purchasing Assistant candidate include:
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
- Excellent negotiation and customer-service skills
- Knowledge of, and experience in, effective supply management and related work
- Ability to conduct market comparisons, monitor trends, and identify potential suppliers
Purchasing Assistant experience requirements
The ideal candidate for the role of a Purchasing Assistant would usually have a minimum of three years experience in a purchasing role, and may also be well-versed in the specifics of supply management. This is essential to be able to perform the required purchasing related tasks.
Purchasing Assistant education and training requirements
Most applicants interested in the position of a Purchasing Assistant will have a high school diploma or equivalent, but a candidate with an associate degree or higher is generally preferred. They should also be well-versed with supply management software, purchase agreements, and purchase orders.
Purchasing Assistant salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Purchasing Assistant is $18.93 per hour in Canada. Wages may vary dependent on experience, location, and company.
Job description samples for similar positions
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