Apprentice Buyer

MGF is committed to supporting professional development and the successful applicant will be supported in working towards the CIPS Level 3 Procurement and Supply Assistant apprenticeship, combining practical workplace experience with a recognised qualification.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Procurement and supply assistant (level 3)

Hours

• Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm with a one hour lunch break
• 40 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

What you'll do at work

• Purchasing goods, materials, or services in line with specified cost, quality, and delivery targets.
• Preparing and raising purchase orders.
• Learning and developing the purchasing system.
• Learning and understanding how the purchasing systems flow into the accounts system.
• Maintaining the approved supplier register.
• Understanding the links between suppliers, especially sub-contractors and Health and Safety regulations.
• Acting as an interface between purchasing, suppliers, and other relevant departments on purchasing processes.
• Preparing reports as and when required.
• Working closely with others in the procurement function and review opportunities for continuous improvement and business improvements.
• Build, maintain, and manage supplier relationships and keep up good communications.
• Ensure that a professional and consistent approach is taken in relation to all suppliers.

Where you'll work

Grant House South
Lancashire
WN4 8DE

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

THE APPRENTICE ACADEMY LIMITED

Training course

Procurement and supply assistant (level 3)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Monitor and order products, stock, equipment and services at appropriate times using the appropriate procurement method.
• Communicate to procurement's internal stakeholders, suppliers and other stakeholders in order to develop effective relationships and networks
• Create, maintain and amend purchase order and contract records.
• Interpret, evaluate and compare procurement information such as historical spend and usage using databases and spreadsheets.
• Present findings and data in all formats e.g. mathematically, written and oral.
• Determine value for money (VFM) and added value through the use of Total Cost of Ownership during the evaluation process, and apply the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) criteria to the evaluation of quotes and tenders to support the recommendation at award. This may include the inclusion of green, low carbon, sustainability, and ethical criteria.
• Utilise relevant Procurement computer systems or internal databases.
• Select the supplier of the most appropriate products and services for purchases within their remit and place purchase order.
• Undertake appraisal of adhoc and low spend suppliers including setting them up on the purchasing system.
• Effectively research and analyse demand, spend, trends, potential suppliers and industries utilising qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Develop specifications of requirements and requests for quotes/tenders in line with organisational requirements.
• Apply considerations of responsible procurement in evaluating potential suppliers, quotes and tenders.
• Investigate and resolve purchase order, delivery and invoice queries.
• Own low risk value projects such as supply contracts for stationery, personal protective equipment (PPE) or other consumables, and contribute to higher risk activities such as contracts for building services or machinery, and track, log, expedite and review outstanding orders and stock availability where applicable.
• Maintain knowledge on all open orders and their status' and provide assistance to all purchasing staff e.g. expediting and feeding information back to the relevant stakeholders.
• Able to consider the impact of the decision making process when interacting with the supply chain.
• Able to support the contract negotiations and mini competitions with suppliers.