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Buyer Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Buyer, or Senior Buyer, is responsible for sourcing and choosing products for sale in retail businesses. Their duties include researching their target market, analysing sales data and building relationships with suppliers. Buyers often have significant industry experience that enable them to identify gaps in the market and predict buying trends.

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Buyer duties and responsibilities

Depending on the size of their employer, buyers can be responsible for the whole process of researching and purchasing products, or they may specialise in just one area of the process. Their main responsibilities include:

  • Collecting and analysing data to help predict trends and forecast sales figures
  • Researching new markets, products and manufacturing processes
  • Identifying quality standards and ensuring that all products meet those standards
  • Collating customer feedback
  • Negotiating with suppliers to agree prices, quantities, delivery schedules and exclusivity deals
  • Working with inventory management team to ensure that all deliveries satisfy the assigned purchase orders and report any back-ordered or missing products
  • Delivering reports on sales data, marketing activity and other metrics to the senior management team and other stakeholders
  • Conducting competitor research
  • Adapting product offering based on customer feedback and behaviour
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Buyer Job Description Examples:

Example 1

Estimator/Buyer

The Exact Group through continued expansion now require an Estimator/Buyer to join their growing team of energetic professionals.

Duties

· Efficient preparation and submission of tenders/ations to clients.

· Analysing drawings, bills of materials and other project documentation to estimate costs.

· Raising POs for raw materials and component parts

· Identification and assessment of new vendors

· Expediting supplier deliveries and negotiating with suppliers to achieve improvement on lead times

· Working proactively to resolve any supply issues with the overall objective of improving OTIF

· Negotiating pricing and other terms with suppliers to improve cost base and deliver savings

· Maintaining accurate purchasing data within the system ensuring full traceability.

· Completing supplier reviews - monitoring and reporting on supplier delivery & quality performance.

· Develop an understanding of the operations and technical information across the Company in conjunction with the Engineering department.

· Any other duties, as reasonably required by management.

Essential Criteria:

· Ability to summarise and effectively communicate complex information.

· High degree of competence in Microsoft Office (particularly Excel, Word, Outlook and Power Point).

· Excellent numerical skills and problem-solving abilities.

· Good time management with the ability to organise and prioritise work to meet deadlines.

· Aptitude for creative and innovative thinking.

· Strong negotiating skills.

· High degree of integrity as data confidentiality is paramount to this position.

· Ability to work on own initiative.

Desirable Criteria:

· Experience in a Purchasing or Buyer role within the engineering/manufacturing sector.

· Experience working in a time-critical manufacturing or engineering environment

· Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills

· Proficient in the use of Excel together with accounts packages e.g. Sage

Personality Requirements

· Good attitude and proactive

· Conscientious and responsible

· Comfortable working in a team-based environment

Salary

· Starting from £30,000p.a. - Negotiable dependent on experience

Benefits

· Pension

· Excellent conditions

· Parking

· Good team environment

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: From £30,000.00 per year

Benefits:
  • Company pension
  • On-site parking
    Schedule:
  • 8 hour shift
  • Day shift
  • Monday to Friday

    Ability to commute/relocate:
  • Newry BT35 6JR: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

    Experience:
  • surveying: 1 year (preferred)

    Application deadline: 18/07/2022
    Reference ID: start date: 18/07/2022

    • Example 2

    Buyer

    tedretail is looking for a Buyer to join our team at our central offices in Milton Keynes. You will be responsible for products from concept/brief, through to sampling and production, managing the critical path at every stage. You will also be able to make recommendations for improvements and/or cost savings once products are in market and use these learnings for future product development. The ideal candidate will be a passionate and driven team player who is highly organised, tenacious, commercially minded and experienced in handling multiple projects at the same time*. tedretail only deals at source, so global travel will be an essential part of the role.

    tedretail is a department within ted that is responsible for developing customised merchandise, including toys, souvenirs and clothing, for various clients worldwide. We have a reputation for excellence and innovation in our bespoke products and the retail experience we create.

    British based with offices in four countries and a twenty-year history, ted delivers full-service entertainment and programming for theatre, cruise, resort and leisure destinations. From audio-visual installations and live entertainment to fitness programs and custom character creation, clients around the world trust our bespoke offerings and excellent customer service. Working in partnership with our clients, ted helps define and design guest experience blueprints that are used to inform all aspects of project development. Resort design, themed attractions, custom plush, food and beverage all impact the guest experience. To meet each client’s needs, ted specializes in creating wow-factor moments, large or small, for guests and brands alike.

    In 2022 RWS Entertainment Group acquired ted. Working with the world’s largest full-service provider of visitor attractions and experiences will leverage our creative expertise and global network to deliver new immersive experiences for Halloween, holiday and seasonal events.

    We are ted and we make it spectacular!

    Responsibilities

    · Critical path management – set out milestone dates at the start of projects to ensure all deadlines are clear. Co-ordinate with factories and relevant internal departments to ensure all deadlines are hit. Be the owner of the product throughout the critical path.

    · Factory negotiation – negotiate with factories on cost prices to get the best price possible. It will also be necessary to agree other factors such as timing and quality levels (in conjunction with the Product Technologist).

    · Product development – take agreed concepts from the Head of Retail and Business Development & Product Manager, brief these into factories, and manage the development cycle through to the end of production.

    · Quality – work in conjunction with the Product Technologist and the factory to agree acceptable product quality levels and QC specifications. Liaise with factories on any QC issues and their resolutions.

    Your experience

    · Must be experienced in NPD, ideally within the toys and/or gifts sectors

    · Experience of working directly with non-UK factories is essential

    · Experience in critical path or project management is essential

    Skills/Qualifications

    · Project management qualification or relevant experience

    · Excellent oral and written English

    · Excellent numeracy skills

    · Strong negotiation skills

    · Good understanding of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel

    Character & Attitude

    · Highly self-motivated and able to work on own initiative

    · Must be a natural problem solver

    · Able to keep a cool head under pressure

    · Methodical, organised and accurate with excellent attention to detail

    · Tenacity and drive are key

    If you’re looking to join a great team, in an exciting, fast-paced and growing organisation, we would love to hear from you!

    Job Type: Full-time

    Salary: £27,000.00-£32,000.00 per year

    Benefits:
  • Company events
  • Company pension
  • Flexible schedule
  • On-site parking
  • Wellness programmes
    Schedule:
  • 8 hour shift
  • Monday to Friday

    Ability to commute/relocate:
  • Milton Keynes, MK12 5EU: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

    Experience:
  • New Product Development: 1 year Sourcing: 1 year (preferred)

    • What does a Buyer do?

    Buyers are responsible for selecting the types of products to be sold on the shelves of shops, online and in other retail environments. They seek out suitable products, plan seasonal changes between lines and identify gaps in the market that can be filled with the items they choose. They also conduct in-depth research to ascertain what their customers will want to buy and negotiate with suppliers to purchase bulk quantities for resale. Some buyers are responsible for sourcing parts or materials which are then used to fabricate items or combined to sell on to customers.

    Buyer skills and qualifications

    Industry knowledge can be advantageous for buyers in some sectors, but a successful Buyer candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that include:

    • Excellent communication skills to help negotiations and ensure that expectations are clear
    • Relationship building and networking skills
    • Financial and accounting knowledge for calculating margins, gross profit and discounts
    • Knowledge of fabrication and manufacturing techniques
    • An understanding of supply chain management and logistics
    • Excellent computer skills and knowledge of spreadsheets, presentation software and other stock management software and systems
    • Excellent attention to detail and high standards for quality control

    Buyer experience requirements

    Assistant, or Junior Buyers may not have buying experience, but can get trained on the job to learn about the market, trends and typical customer behaviour. Senior Buyers will usually be expected to have some experience working in retail purchasing and have a more detailed understanding of the industry, in order to select products that are going to be popular with customers. Experience of working in a retail position, or with customer service, or any role that requires negotiation, is an advantage.

    Buyer education and training requirements

    Assistant Buyers may be able to secure entry-levels jobs with minimal education or training requirements, but will need GCSEs or A-levels to demonstrate an acceptable level of numeracy and literacy. For higher-level positions, such as Senior Buyer roles, candidates typically need a degree in business, accounting or marketing. Specific qualifications that relate to the buying process are helpful, such as certification in Understanding Retail Operations or a Diploma in Fashion Retail or Retail Skills that cover a number of important aspects of the purchasing process.

    Buyer Salary Expectations

    According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Buyer is £31,766 per year. This will depend on their level of seniority, the sector in which they work and the area of the country in which the job is based.

    Job description samples for similar positions

    If you are recruiting for a role, but need something a little different, have a look at some alternative job descriptions:

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    Buyer job description FAQs

    What are the different types of Buyer?

    Buyers can have different roles depending on the industry that they work in. Some Buyers work on a wholesale basis, whereas others work in the retail sector selecting products to sell through a number of different outlets. Other industries have specialist buyers such as Agricultural Machinery Buyers, Office Supply, Stationery Buyers and Industrial Goods Buyers who need more specialist knowledge and experience to succeed.

    Who does a Buyer report to?

    Depending on the nature of the business, Buyers may report to a Senior Buyer, a Purchasing Manager or a Procurement Manager. Some work directly with the teams they buy for and therefore report to the specific manager for their department such as the Women’s Apparel Manager or Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Manager. Senior Buyers may report to the Operations Director or Managing Director.

    What qualities make a good Buyer?

    Buyers need to be patient and able to remain calm under pressure as they negotiate contracts. They need to be personable and able to build and maintain strong relationships with their network of suppliers. Buyers typically spend some time visiting manufacturing plants and inspecting suppliers’ working environments, so they need to be willing to travel.

    Job Description Examples

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