Assistant Buyer
What is in an Assistant Buyer Job Description
An Assistant Buyer supports the buying team. You would usually report to a Senior Buyer. Your job is to help make sure products and services are bought at the right price, in the right quantity, and at the right time.
This is an entry-level role with lots of variety. It’s a good way to learn how procurement works day to day. You’ll support cross-functional teams and contribute to day-to-day procurement decisions, gaining valuable experience as you go.What will be your responsibilities?
As an Assistant Buyer, your tasks can include:
- Raise and manage purchase orders through to completion
- Monitor inventory levels and highlight when more stock is required
- Track PO's and follow up with suppliers to ensure on time in full (OTIF) delivery
- Keeping records up to date, including spreadsheets and documents
- Monitor market trends, prices, and how products are selling
- Helping review suppliers on cost, quality, and reliability
- Supporting basic contract discussions
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with suppliers
- Working with internal teams like finance, planning, and operations
- Helping prepare reports on spend, product trends, and supplier performance
You won’t own everything yourself, but you’ll be involved in a lot, and that’s how you learn.
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What qualifications do you need?
There’s no single route into this role. Most employers look for a mix of education, experience, and skills.
You’ll often see roles asking for:
- Some experience in retail, procurement, or merchandising
- An internship or entry-level role in a buying or commercial team
- A degree or qualification in business, finance, marketing, or something similar would be useful but not necessary
- Some employers value you studying towards a CIPS qualification
Skills and experience matter just as much. Employers usually want someone who has:
- Good Excel skills and confidence using systems, including AI tools
- The ability to work with data and spot issues
- Clear written and spoken communication
- Strong attention to detail, especially with prices and orders
- Confidence working with suppliers and internal teams
This role is ideal for someone looking to build a career in procurement. You will gain practical experience throughout all the stages of the procurement cycle, develop strong supplier and stakeholder skills. Enabling you to gain valuable experience within the profession.
To start your journey to become a Procurement Consultant, the ideal starting point is the Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply. Once complete, move on to Level 5 and Level 6 qualifications that will take you all the way to MCIPS.
Salary benchmarking: What does an Assistant Buyer get paid?
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Salaries may increase if you are studying with CIPS or change sector. To find out more about the salaries of procurement and supply professionals let our salary calculator do the hard work for you.