Specific responsibilities
¨ General
- assist the Purchasing Manager in the effective performance of his/her duties
- to undertake specific buying tasks as delegated, possibly including full buying responsibilities
for a range of materials, reporting to the Purchasing Manager in accordance with Company
policies, principles and procedures
- to substitute for the Purchasing Manager in his/her absence
¨ Inquiry Process
- know the basic systems of inquiry, ordering and contracting of goods and services
- collect short to mid-term requirements and off-takes, fully understand background of the
figures and be able to question them for accuracy
- develop good knowledge of supplier's overall capabilities and limitations
- support Purchasing Manager preparing purchasing strategies, i.e. provide long-term demand
evolution, import/export statistics, feedstock cost evolution, status of projects, exchange rate
evolution as example amongst other activities
- prepare supplier inquiry forms and issue in agreement with the Purchasing Manager
- analyse offers for completeness and clarity
- after supplier bid analysis, take into account supply constraints, possible rebate systems,
validity of offers, freight rates, duties and custom fees, packing requirements, verify accuracy
of exchange rates, status supplier qualification, prepare bid tabulation and run base plans for
business allocation
¨ Material related responsibilities
- develop good comprehensive knowledge of the products under responsibility of the desk and
the markets related to them: supply base, feedstock, feedstock cost evolution, availability of
production locations, overall knowledge of market, price structure and evolution, overall
production process
¨ Interaction with other departments and suppliers
- Plants/MMO: obtain offtakes and requirements, follow up contract performance, when
required help resolving quality issues, price queries and supply crises
- R&D: follow up on qualification of new suppliers or materials, obtain samples, place spot
orders, arrange and attend technical meetings with suppliers and follow up outcome
- Marketing: get long-term marketing drives forecasts and plan in time with vendors to get better deals and lock down supply, represent purchases in BIR meetings when required.
- F&A: respond to cost queries, obtain exchange, interest and inflation rates
- Suppliers: follow up on agreement to specifications and contract execution, inclusive of
rebate payments, be alert to supply issues; for materials under direct responsibility arrange
and lead meetings, and produce meeting reports
¨ Tasks related to new or developmental materials
For development activities Buying Assistants give support to the Purchasing Manager by executing the following tasks:
- collate market, feedstock, process and price information
- understand R&D's needs and objectives
- overall coordination of sample requests, inclusive of folllow-up of R&D evaluation and
feedback to supplier
- assist Purchasing Manager in follow up CDA/JDA process
¨ Miscellaneous
- for the desk coordinate filing and ensure records are up to date
- maintain supplier data base
- departmental coordination functions: price reports, price forecasts, exchange and inflation
rates, supplier business evolution
- travel to suppliers and/or subsidiaries as per business need and in agreement with
Purchasing Manager
- provide support to training of new hires
Decision Points
