WHAT DOES A JUNIOR BUYER DO?
Updated: Dec 15, 2025 - The Junior Buyer supports contract and project delivery by coordinating procurement activities, engaging with suppliers, and collaborating with commercial and delivery teams. This role manages electronic procurement operations, maintains supply chain records, and prioritizes workload to ensure timely and accurate contribution to company offers. The buyer also drives continual process improvement to enhance overall efficiency and performance within the supply chain function.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Junior Buyer
1. Junior Buyer Duties
- Purchasing Management: Responsible for purchasing finished goods, raw materials, semi-finished products, components and services from vendors employing a just-in-time philosophy that aligns with Project Schedule requirements.
- ERP Administration: Properly manage all purchasing, material movement, and project-based material planning activities within the ERP system.
- JIT Planning: Employ a Just In Time (JIT) philosophy for material procurement and planning purposes.
- Material Coordination: Direct point of contact for Production and Project Management for material requirements, schedules, and costing.
- BOM Verification: Verify BOMs against CAD drawings and project SOW to ensure order accuracy.
- Change Review: Review the impact of all pending Engineering Change Requests upon the schedule and pricing.
- Supplier Research: Research, identify and assess new suppliers.
- Quote Evaluation: Evaluate and compare vendor quotes to select the most desirable supplier.
- Supplier Quality: Ensure suppliers provide quality materials on time and resolve material issues and material returns when expectations are not met.
- Delivery Tracking: Coordinate with suppliers, management, and logistics teams to schedule, expedite and track deliveries to ensure schedules are met.
- Trend Analysis: Work closely with the team to effectively take advantage of trends.
- Supplier Audit: Visit suppliers' facilities to qualify them as new sources and assist in resolving production, design, quality or delivery problems.
- Relationship Building: Establish good business relationships with suppliers to allow for improved lead times, better pricing and effective problem resolution.
2. Junior Buyer Details
- PO Creation: Create capital and OG&S purchase orders and receive invoices for capital projects.
- Supplier Coordination: Interact with suppliers and contractors to manage purchase payment instructions and change orders.
- PO Distribution: Maintain and distribute purchase order packages to appropriate field personnel and authorized agents.
- Issue Resolution: Resolve purchase order and goods/services receipt discrepancies.
- ERP Processing: Process purchase orders in ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, and Ariba.
- Stakeholder Training: Provide training to new stakeholders on purchasing policies and procedures.
- Range Development: Develop and deliver product ranges, drive profit, and influence the brand’s product strategy.
- Trend Anticipation: Work closely with Design and Merchandising teams to anticipate new trends and product opportunities.
- Supplier Relations: Develop strong links with suppliers to ensure on-time, on-budget production aligned with design requirements.
- Team Management: Manage, develop, and motivate a close-knit team.
- Product Sourcing: Participate in sourcing and buying new product ranges that complement seasonal collections.
3. Junior Buyer Responsibilities
- KPI Delivery: Delivering department KPIs to drive margin and profit.
- Risk Management: Identifying and addressing risks in partnership with Merchandising.
- Trend Analysis: Anticipating customer needs using sales data, analytics and trend research to deliver commercial ranges.
- Range Optimization: Trading effectively by identifying gaps and opportunities while managing risk.
- Cost Efficiency: Strategically planning and driving cost-saving initiatives to increase efficiency.
- Range Building: Effectively building ranges aligned with Options, ALB strategy and global requirements.
- Supplier Onboarding: Supporting contractual negotiations and managing the full onboarding process for global suppliers.
- Relationship Building: Growing business opportunities through strong relationships with internal teams and external suppliers.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Working with all business functions to prioritise innovative marketing opportunities.
- Promotional Planning: Building competitive promotional and discounting calendars collaboratively with brands.
4. Junior Buyer Job Summary
- Market Analysis: Keeping up to date on market discounting activity and seeking competitive opportunities such as first-to-market launches, added value and exclusives.
- Brand Alignment: Maintaining a clear understanding of brand purpose and Fashion with Integrity and embedding these principles within the team.
- Sustainable Sourcing: Looking for opportunities to use sustainable materials wherever possible.
- Supply Development: Working closely with Sourcing to develop a strong supply base and identify pinch points or saturation.
- Project Leadership: Leading cross-functional initiatives and projects while championing change.
- Visual Coordination: Agreeing on styling and visual merchandising guidelines with Studios and Global teams.
- Team Leadership: Leading and building a strong team of ABs and BAs while focusing on future talent development.
- Team Development: Providing clear direction, identifying training needs, and fostering collaborative ways of working.
- Team Motivation: Motivating and engaging the team through recognition and regular feedback.
5. Junior Buyer Accountabilities
- Department Support: Following the purchasing needs of internal departments.
- Supplier Mapping: Establishing a map of suppliers.
- Risk Assessment: Identifying the balance of power and assessing risks while providing possible solutions.
- Supplier Management: Managing relationships with existing suppliers and seeking new ones.
- Price Negotiation: Negotiating prices and signing long-term contracts.
- Order Monitoring: Placing orders and closely monitoring delivery times, prices and quality.
- Stock Management: Carrying out stock management using the ERP system.
- Process Improvement: Analyzing and constantly improving the purchasing process.
- Market Analysis: Identifying and analyzing market trends at the supplier level.
6. Junior Buyer Functions
- Project Support: Proactively working with Bid and Project Managers to support the delivery of the supply chain component of contracts and projects.
- Team Coordination: Interacting with commercial and contract delivery teams.
- Procurement Operation: Handling the day-to-day operation of the electronic procurement process.
- Supplier Management: Managing suppliers and engaging stakeholders effectively.
- Record Maintenance: Maintaining procurement and supply chain management records.
- Workload Prioritization: Managing and prioritizing individual workload.
- Offer Preparation: Providing support to the preparation of company offers to the required standards and deadlines.
- Process Improvement: Driving continual improvement in company processes.
7. Junior Buyer Job Description
- PO Management: Create and manage purchasing orders promptly and update management on the status.
- Issue Resolution: Resolve administrative issues related to PO at the first level of escalation.
- RFI RFP RFQ: Support Request for Information, Request for Proposal and Request for Quotation.
- Product Research: Research, select and purchase quality products and materials.
- Supplier Selection: Assist with identifying competitive sources, seeking pricing and delivery schedules, selecting suppliers and placing orders within constraints.
- Delivery Management: Manage on-time delivery performance and lead time adherence with vendors, resolving any malfunctions.
- Inventory Monitoring: Update inventory and ensure stock levels are kept appropriate using MRP and stock monitoring.
- Quality Control: Manage and resolve any quality issues with the stock received.
- Trend Monitoring: Monitor market trends and apply this knowledge to make insightful buying decisions.
- Project Participation: Participate in special projects and perform assigned tasks.
8. Junior Buyer Overview
- Procurement Planning: Creating, updating and maintaining procurement plans.
- Plan Issuance: Issuing procurement plans to contractors.
- Purchase Coordination: Coordinating the purchase of equipment and materials across various projects and teams.
- PO Commitment: Committing purchase orders and maintaining controls to monitor supplier performance and conformance to commercial terms.
- RFQ Development: Developing and maintaining Requests for Quotations and Purchase Orders within the client and Wood systems.
- File Management: Electronic file management in company file-sharing systems.
- Logistics Documentation: Assisting with documentation of shipping and receiving of all materials to job sites.
- Shortage Resolution: Coordinating resolution of shortages and overages.
- Material Reporting: Reporting on material status according to project schedules.
9. Junior Buyer Details and Accountabilities
- Policy Compliance: Review purchase requisitions for compliance with Charles River procurement policies and Government regulations.
- Material Procurement: Procure direct and indirect materials or services, seeking competitive bids and using the company credit card within approved thresholds.
- Data Entry: Accurately enter and update all purchase information in purchasing and accounting systems to reflect contractual obligations.
- Supplier Management: Identify and maintain responsible supplier sources for recurring requirements while resolving quality and delivery issues.
- Vendor Reconciliation: Update and reconcile the vendor database to ensure suppliers are eligible for government-funded purchases.
- Proposal Support: Provide support to the proposal department for commercial materials requirements.
- Report Preparation: Prepare periodic and special-purpose reports and ensure the integrity of data submitted to the government.
- Audit Compliance: Maintain purchase files for audit compliance.
- Shipment Coordination: Coordinate authorized outgoing shipments with proper documentation, working closely with contracting, Government Property Administrator and the Office Manager.
10. Junior Buyer Tasks
- Market Research: Research commodity and supplier markets for sourcing.
- Strategic Integration: Integrate sourcing plans into the strategic goals of the company.
- Price Negotiation: Negotiate prices for raw materials and establish contracts for cost reduction and long-term stability.
- Cost Analysis: Develop total cost knowledge for negotiations in new product development.
- Cross-Functional Support: Work with Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality on new product launches to drive cost and sourcing decisions.
- Lean Support: Support Lean practices within the organization.
- Supplier Development: Help suppliers develop Lean practices and integrate them into the Thetford Lean Initiative.
- Supplier Selection: Select and evaluate suppliers.
- Expectation Setting: Set and review Thetford expectations with suppliers.
- Supplier Relations: Build and sustain supplier relationships.
- Procurement Analysis: Analyze pricing, discounts and delivery dates to make procurement recommendations.