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⚡ Source: ReedRef: 56904593

Buyer

Portfolio Procurement·Oxfordshire·Posted 1 week ago
💰 £36-38k/year
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Job description

Original text imported from Reed

Portfolio Procurement has been engaged by a leading UK supplier / wholesaler .


Main purpose of the job

  • Place purchase orders and forecast demand
  • Manage supplier uplifts
  • Undertake general purchasing admin duties
  • Maintain working relationships with suppliers.
  • Work with suppliers to introduce new products into the range
  • Maintain stock availability and service level agreements


Job Requirements

  • Experience previously in a buying role
  • Ability to work efficiently in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and adapt to changes as required
  • Strong attention to details
  • Understanding of stock control


Benefits

  • Employee discounts
  • Free parking


If this is a role you are interested in, please apply with your most up to date CV.



51389DHR1

INDPRO

The Portfolio Group are acting on behalf of our client in recruiting for this position.

SpeedCV AI

Key skills

AI-extracted from the job advert

Must-have skills
Buying experienceStock controlPurchase order managementSupplier relationship management
Nice-to-have
Demand forecastingERP systemsProcurement administrationService level agreement management
Soft skills
Attention to detailAdaptabilityCommunicationRelationship buildingTime managementProblem solving
SpeedCV AI

Application advice

5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.

1

⭐ Highlight your buying experience prominently as this is explicitly required for the role

2

📊 Quantify your procurement achievements: 'Managed £2.4M annual spend across 45 suppliers'

3

🌐 Emphasise stock control experience as maintaining availability is a key responsibility

4

🎯 Showcase supplier relationship management skills since working with suppliers is central to the role

5

🤝 Demonstrate adaptability examples as they specifically mention needing to work in a dynamic environment

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Suggested CV bullets

3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.

How to tailor your CV

Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:

  • Managed purchase orders worth £1.8M annually across 32 suppliers, maintaining 98% stock availability through effective demand forecasting
  • Negotiated supplier uplifts averaging 3.2% below market rates while introducing 24 new products to the range within 6 months
  • Implemented stock control procedures reducing excess inventory by 15% whilst maintaining service level agreements above 95%

Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.

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Letter preview — tailored to Portfolio Procurement

Dear Hiring Manager,

Portfolio Procurement's Buyer position represents exactly the procurement challenge I'm seeking, combining purchase order management with strategic supplier relationship development for a leading UK wholesaler.

My background in buying and stock control has equipped me with the skills to manage supplier uplifts, maintain service level agreements, and introduce new products whilst ensuring optimal stock availability across diverse product ranges.

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SpeedCV AI

Interview questions

10 questions generated from this advert.

Technical

  • How do you forecast demand for new product lines?
  • What methods do you use to manage supplier uplifts effectively?
  • How do you maintain optimal stock levels while minimising holding costs?
  • What systems have you used for purchase order management?
  • How do you evaluate supplier performance and service levels?

Behavioural

  • Tell me about a time you had to adapt quickly to changes in supplier requirements
  • Describe a situation where you had to build a relationship with a difficult supplier
  • Give an example of when your attention to detail prevented a costly purchasing error
  • Tell me about a time you successfully introduced a new product to your range
  • Describe how you've managed competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
SpeedCV AINEW

STAR answer examples

Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.

1Question

Tell me about a time you had to adapt quickly to changes in supplier requirements

When our main packaging supplier announced a 48-hour notice change to minimum order quantities from 500 to 2,000 units, I immediately assessed our 12-week forecast and identified potential stockouts. I contacted 3 alternative suppliers within 4 hours, negotiated temporary pricing with 2 backup vendors, and restructured our ordering schedule. This quick adaptation prevented £8,400 in lost sales and maintained our 98% service level during the transition period.
2Question

Describe a situation where you had to build a relationship with a difficult supplier

A key electronics supplier was consistently delivering 5-7 days late, affecting our customer commitments. Rather than switching suppliers immediately, I arranged a face-to-face meeting to understand their challenges. I discovered their production planning issues and proposed a 3-month rolling forecast system. By sharing our demand visibility and adjusting our order timing, we improved their delivery performance from 65% on-time to 94% within 8 weeks, saving £12,000 in alternative sourcing costs.

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