Buyer (m/f/d)
Tasks, jobs & contract models

Buyer – negotiate the best prices at the optimum point in time

The majority of companies have to buy goods, procure raw materials and store materials for production. Buyers play an important key part in the value creation chain of a company. They ensure that all of the company processes keep moving, that production does not come to a standstill and that capital is not tied up for too long. Every buyer is passionate about buying goods at the best point in time and at the best price. In order to work as profitably as possible, buyers proceed very analytically, develop strategies, keep a close eye on their market and make decisions concerning how many suppliers (and which suppliers) it is expedient to work with. This means that you have a direct influence on the profit maximisation of your company.

Can anyone do this? Far from it. Because there has long since been a variety of different professional fields in the purchasing area. Be it as a strategic, technical or operational buyer – each area requires its specialists to have particular skills. Whereas analysis and planning talent and negotiating skills are particularly important in strategic purchasing, technical buyers are primarily responsible for the procurement of technical equipment and machinery – which is good when you know what to look out for. The responsibilities in operational purchasing, on the other hand, are in ordering, tracking deadlines and dealing with returns and complaints.

What is a buyer?

As a buyer, you have an overview of the inventory, suppliers and production processes within your company. You ensure that material, raw material and machinery requirements are determined in good time by keeping in constant communication with other departments. In this way, you play a key part in safeguarding the production chain of your company.

What are your duties as a buyer?

As a company’s buyer, you monitor and analyse the market with extreme care with regard to prices, suppliers, producers and new technologies. You define a purchasing strategy for your company and provide logistical improvement options with regard to the costs that are incurred. As a buyer, it is particularly helpful to know all about the inventory and the production so that you can analyse your own requirements and optimise the purchasing process. In a nutshell, you are responsible for prompt provision of the production material and dealing with returns and complaints, while fulfilling the goal of keeping costs as low as possible and, in the best case, reducing costs at the same time. Which of these areas of responsibility could become yours, depends on the exact professional field in which you will be working. A distinction is made between three professional fields: strategic, technical and operational buying.

What are the differences between strategic, operational and technical purchasing?

Strategic purchasing:

• Observing the markets of potential suppliers
• Deciding which suppliers to use (Supplier Management)
• Negotiating contracts
• Preparing for delivery of the goods

Operational purchasing:

• Processing individual orders
• Processing order confirmations
• Monitoring stock levels
• Quantity planning

Technical purchasing:

• Focus on technical products (machinery, systems, components and spare parts, raw materials and operating materials)
• Determining requirements for technical products
• Procurement of technology and materials
• Purchase optimisation (price-performance ratio)

There are many ways to get your dream job – be it via permanent employment, temporary employment or as a freelancer We will accompany you!!

Do you want to aim high and take on responsibility in a large sphere of activity in your new position in purchasing? Different types of contract are available for your appointment as a buyer. It doesn't matter whether you want to start your next career step as a strategic, technical or operational buyer. We support you with all options: Permanent employment, freelance work, temporary employment and our workforce management. Let's check together which contract model is the most suitable for you.

This is how we successfully bring buyers and companies together

When we recruit competent buyers for our companies, we work in accordance with our innovative "Find & Engage" concept. Our HR recruiters create short lists of our applicants on the basis of search networks and data analyses. These give us access to candidates who meet your requirements, even if they are not currently looking for a job.

In order to find the best possible person for your position, we attach great importance to establishing good relationships with applicants. We also get to know their interests and priorities and find only suitable jobs. We therefore have an extensive pool of qualified candidates to whom we can suggest a suitable company at short notice. If the professional communication and mutual interest between applicant and company are correct, all of the relevant framework conditions will be coordinated with Hays. The applicants are then employed, either directly by the company or on a contract basis via Hays. And nothing more stands in the way of good cooperation!