Apprentice Purchaser

This is an exciting entry-level opportunity for someone looking to start a career in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain. As Apprentice Purchaser, you will work alongside our experienced Warehouse & Purchasing Manager, learning the fundamentals of purchasing operations in a busy, real-world environment.

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

As you grow in confidence and capability, your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Raising purchase orders where sales orders cannot be fulfilled from existing stock
• Ensuring purchase orders contain all necessary information so that goods and services are delivered correctly and on time
• Contacting suppliers to check pricing, confirm delivery dates, and chase outstanding orders
• Entering and processing delivery notes accurately into our systems
• Responding to queries from internal teams and suppliers by phone and email in a timely and professional manner
• Supporting the development of supplier relationships to improve service and responsiveness
• Maintaining accurate filing and records for the purchasing department
• Keeping purchase order due dates up to date and flagging potential issues proactively
• Following company procedures for record-keeping and system updates
• Supporting wider service departments and contributing to shared business goals
• Adhering to all company Health & Safety, Quality, and HR policies

Where you'll work

17-19 Smeaton Close
Severalls Industrial Park
Colchester
CO4 9QY

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

Training provider

COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

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.
• 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.