Buyer Assistant

Location:

Phoenix, AZ

Work Schedules:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM or 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Summary

A growing manufacturer in the food industry is looking for a detail-oriented Buyer Assistant to support its Procurement and Purchasing team. In this role, you will handle the daily purchasing work that keeps the team running: purchase orders, PO updates, supplier follow-ups, delivery tracking, and purchasing records. With accurate, up-to-date information from you, the Buyers can focus on material planning, sourcing, negotiations, supplier management, and preventing shortages.

The team currently uses Batch Master ERP and is moving to Aptean next year, so you will also get hands-on experience with a new system implementation. The company cares more about attention to detail, follow-through, and a willingness to learn than about years of experience, so this is a great opportunity for someone who is organized, dependable, and ready to grow in purchasing and supply chain.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Help Buyers create and maintain purchase orders in the ERP system (Batch Master, moving to Aptean)
• Send approved purchase orders to suppliers, then get and record order confirmations
• Follow up with vendors on order status and delivery dates, and update PO ETAs as confirmations come in
• Keep pricing, quantities, dates, and other purchasing data accurate and current in the ERP system
• Track open purchase orders, flag overdue deliveries, and tell the Buyer or Senior Buyer about late shipments or possible delivery problems
• Keep purchasing files organized, including supplier documents, quotes, and confirmations
• Help request supplier quotes and pricing, and keep vendor contact information up to date
• Work with Receiving on expected deliveries, and help resolve discrepancies such as wrong quantities, incorrect items, or missing paperwork
• Work with Inventory Control when inventory or receiving information needs to be verified
• Help review the Pending Production Schedule and upcoming material needs
• Help track samples, new materials, packaging changes, and supplier approvals
• Prepare and maintain purchasing reports and open PO reports
• Enter freight and other approved purchasing charges when needed
• Share routine purchasing updates between suppliers and internal departments
• Support the upcoming move from Batch Master to Aptean, including data checks and learning new processes
• Provide administrative support to the Procurement and Purchasing Manager and the Senior Buyer
• Take on other purchasing and supply chain duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required:

• 1-3 years of experience in purchasing, administration, inventory, customer service, or supply chain (strong skills and attitude matter more than years of experience)
• Experience with ERP or purchasing systems
• Basic-to-intermediate Microsoft Excel skills
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in data entry
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage several open items at once
• Clear written and verbal communication with suppliers and internal teams
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with little supervision
• Dependable, proactive, and eager to learn new systems

Preferred:

• Experience in manufacturing or the food industry
• Experience with Batch Master, Aptean, or a similar process-manufacturing ERP
• Experience with an ERP system conversion or implementation
• Familiarity with purchase orders, receiving processes, and vendor management

Benefits vary by client and are confirmed at the time of offer. Examples may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off (PTO)