Overview

SUMMARY

The role of the Purchasing Assistant is to provide the basis for assisting building the quote for an order, update Vendor Purchase quotes, Confirm & send Vendor Purchase Orders, Receive & Post vendor Purchase Orders and Invoices, prepare customer delivery receipts and prepare customer invoices. The position entails assisting the sales agent to prepare customer quotes and orders accurately and timely.

Responsibilities

The Purchasing Assistant upholds the following Responsibilities:

• Adhering to the codes of our Employee Manual
• Maintaining open communications and a harmonious working relationship with all personnel.
• Ensuring that work areas in your department are clean and presentable to customers and other visitors.
• Maintaining a reasonable work environment and providing adequate safeguards for the work-related health and safety of employees

• Establishing and maintaining all external relationships in a manner that is consistent with our objectives, operating philosophy, and desired image, re: customer relations, public relations, vendor relations, community relations.

• Maintaining confidentiality on all corporate subjects so classified.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The main responsibilities of the Purchasing Assistant are as follows:

A purchasing assistant is responsible for assisting the sales agent with customer quotes, orders, delivery receipts and customer billing preparation. Depending on the business, purchasing assistants may be responsible for the development of successful relationships with suppliers, distributors and manufacturers while ensuring that the required products are always in stock.

• Perform activities involved in procuring goods and services for shipping vessels to satisfy customer quotations. Update Vendor Purchase Quotes, accurately entering cost and availability.

• RFQ sales quotes-Request Vendors for Pricing. Confers with vendors to obtain product or service information, such as pricing, availability, delivery schedule, spec sheets.
• Confirm Vendor Purchase Orders and manage the logistics ensuring on time delivery/pick up to fulfill customer’s order
• Ensure that orders received are accurate, updates & posts in software received Purchase Orders and vendor invoices
• Handle returns and issues with vendors at the request of the sales agent.
• Process the vendor Evaluation forms at the request of the sales agent and updates the AVL (Approved Vendors List)
• Process Vendor Price Lists and create cross-reference with our item numbers
• Prints order delivery receipts for customers, at the request of the sales agent.
• Creates customer invoice at the request of the sales agent and submits to accounting dept.
• Perform all other duties as requested by the sales agent

COMPETENCIES

• Ability to work in a team or committee environment.
• Ability to take and follow directions.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to communicate clearly with suppliers, other purchasing personnel, employees and industry professionals.
• Ability to manage time efficiently.
• Ability to organize and prioritize.
• Ability to make independent decisions.
• Proficient knowledge of computer system operations and software.
• Knowledge & understanding of Metric system

QUALIFICATIONS

• Proficient knowledge of computer system operations and software.

• Good verbal and written communication skills

• Ability to negotiate prices and to identify areas of concern and opportunity

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Required Education – A high school degree or GED equivalent.
• Experience – One year of prior purchasing experience.

Experience working in the shipping industry

Preferred Experience – Three years of experience within the shipping industry.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to understand and speak and write the English language.

COMPUTER SKILLS

High computer skills necessary must use Microsoft Windows, Office, and other inventory/purchasing software at an experienced or above level. The ability to successfully operate the company’s principal software system.

CERTIFICATIONS, LINCENSES AND REGISTRATIONS

None are required for this position. However, membership in related professional associations would be a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Body Positions – A good deal of time will be spent sitting at a desk, standing, walking on various surfaces and angles.
• Body Movements – Use of hands, arms and eyes. Repetitive movements are required

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Primarily in a quiet office environment and also in a warehouse environment. At times visits to job sites or vendors may be required.

MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE

The job performance of the Purchasing Agent will be determined by the following measurements:

• Meet deadlines for purchase quote input and purchase orders
• Accuracy of data input
• Manage time efficiently and be self-sufficient.