Minimum Requirements
- 3 - 5 years experience within a buying-related role.
- Knowledge of the procurement procedures.
- Must have planning and analytical skills.
- Leadership experience
- Must have a drivers license.
- Degree/diploma in Supply Chain.
- Pastel Evolution
Financial Metrics/Operational Duties
- Source lowest prices, source quality products, source appropriate lead times.
- Specific focus on branded products for marketing and promotional purposes. Create a specialists skillset/product know how, which include branded apparel and merchandise.
- Bring innovative import ideas to the buying time and engage with the sales/stock control team with regards to the market demands.
- Source BEE empowered suppliers that have a BEE score as predetermined by Star Merchants BEE strategy.
- Source products that meet customer requirements/specifications first time round.
- Ensure customer approves all artwork (where necessary) prior to finalizing the order. Retain proof and sample and file in storage chronologically. Effective management of buying orders (to meet customer orders timeously, effective use of warehouse space, quality control checks, fraud/theft).
- Ensure stock that is ordered has maximum shelf life.
- Ensure that suppliers who can deliver to Star Merchants various warehouses are engaged where appropriate and feasible such that Star Merchant can reduce its transport cost.
- Determine and develop appropriate sources of supply and maintaining cooperative working relationship with suppliers and to stay current with trends, technology, products and services.
- Prepare and process purchase orders.
- Resolve problems arising from the purchase of goods and services.
- Maintain a good working relationship with the stock control department to ensure goods are received and dispatched efficiently to the relevant person / branch.
- Open communication lines are needed between the accounting department and the buyer to ensure account payments are made on time to ensure delivery / collection is made on time.
- Effective issues of purchase orders and follow ups on outstanding deliveries or supplier back orders.
- Ensure signed supplier agreements are in place.
- Management of operating costs.
- Negotiation of favorable supplier terms - (payment, rebates, settlement discount, volume discount, doorstep delivery, lead times)
- Implement, manage and maintain stock holding levels with suppliers.
- Review weighted average cost reports for each inventory item with weekly comparisons so that anomalies/ excessive supplier pricing can be timeously identified.
- Ensure that the supplier base is split into high volume supplier and high value suppliers. Intense focus should be aimed at these suppliers for the best pricing and payment terms. Quotations should be updated quarterly from 4 suppliers within becoming the back-up supplier.
- Physically accept sensitive stock items (specific artwork, color dependent items, uniforms, promotional / marketing products essentially those items that fall outside the scope of the goods receiving clerks understanding/knowledge) at the warehouse.
- Identifying weakness accompanied timeous corrective action.
- Establishing, implementing and monitoring of supplier incidents/defaults which include quality, lead times, prices and BBBEE ratings.
- Monitor market and customer trends to identify new products/services and identify existing products that need to be procured from alternate suppliers or imported or added to our inventory lines.
- Monitoring of supplier pricing (3 quotes, update regularly), back up suppliers, preferred suppliers, buying trends, research on alternate suppliers, import vs local sourcing, timeous ordering to make use of favorable exchange rates, monitoring of exchange rates for imported products
- Improvement of BEE score, driving the buying team to use BEE compliant suppliers.
- Forecasting/demand planning according to customer demands/events.
- Satisfactory meeting of stock controls deadlines.
- Oversee and control national rollouts & special events.
- Ensure continuous supply of required goods and materials and communicate any supply problems which may pose a risk or impact on business operations
- Monitor market trends, competitor strategies and market suppliers
- Research and evaluate areas of opportunity and reduce costs where possible
- Deliver briefs, updates and reports as and when required
- Develop creative and innovative procurement processes
- Develop ideas and strategies to improve operational efficiency, add value, aid business performance and work towards a strategy of continuous improvement
- Provide guidance and support to junior members of the purchasing team
- Contributes to a work environment that encourages the sharing of knowledge, respect for, and development of skills of team members in other departments.
- Performance must be tracked by yourself, and the onus is placed on you to set-up performance review meetings with the Buying Team Leader/Buying Manager.
- Guide, direct and supervise junior buyers and advance buyers.
- 100% compliance with company policies and procedures.
- 100% compliance with health and safety regulations.
- 100% Compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
- Ensure logical saving of all work, templates, etc. monthly and yearly such that each years financial records can stand on its own when enquiries/ investigations/audits take place.
- Produce high quality, neat, logical, succinct, easy to follow, easy to understand, formula linked work/templates/workbooks/financial models - of which is substantiated by facts with no numbers in the formulas.
- Ensure the above (final version) and other documents are chronologically saved/backed up.
- Declare all gifts.
- Do not accept kickbacks. Instances to be reported immediately.
- Declare all conflicts of interest upfront.
- Assist with projects as directed from time to time.
- Adhere to measures are put in place and steps are taken to achieve the short term, medium term and long-term goals of the company.
- Supplier relationship management
- Identifying new business and new products
- Attend global/local events to source products
- Development of existing business and products
- Assist with company projects or lead company projects if specific to stock control
- Automation of the buying process
- Excellent problem solving and reporting abilities.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ensure impressive planning, organizational, leading and controlling skills.
- Strong people management and development skills.
- Portray strong attention to detail, whilst maintaining efficiency.
- Exceptional market awareness and customer service skills.
- Must be deadline and result driven.
