Assistant Buyer

Assistant Buyer

 

Reports to:       Purchasing Manager

Department:       70340 - Purchasing

Revision date:      New JD March 2026

Document control:    UKCM29

 

Purpose

The Assistant Buyer plays a pivotal role in ensuring the stability and efficiency of Bee Health’s supply chain. The position safeguards uninterrupted production by securing materials, components and services at the right time, quality and cost. Operating within a fast-paced, large-scale manufacturing environment, the Assistant Buyer supports both operational and strategic procurement activities—enhancing supplier performance, mitigating supply risk, and contributing to the company’s reputation for delivering safe, high-quality nutritional products to customers worldwide.

The Assistant Buyer role supports the wider supply chain through a mix of category management and operational procurement to ensure company operational needs are met—considering price, quality, delivery, and continuity of supply. 

 

The Company

 

Our vison here at Bee Health is “To be the first-choice, contract manufacturer for leading brands in the health & wellbeing industry. Led by enthusiastic customer focused, proud, dedicated people”. 

 

We are a leading UK vitamin, mineral and supplement manufacturer specialising in private label and contract manufacture for some of the world’s largest brands and retailers. Working with the finest ingredients sourced from around the world to provide customers with the most advanced formulas nutritional science has to offer.  

 

As part of the wider INW Group, INW and Bee Health combine decades of ground-breaking biomedical research experience with a legacy of world-class production. Our unparalleled product development, marketing and sales solutions, and IP management are designed to drive our bottom line. 

 

From our state-of-the-art facility in Bridlington our private label service enables companies of any size to develop and deliver an extensive range of vitamins and supplements, such as tablets, hard shell capsules, soft gel capsules, liquids, gels, creams, and powders. 

 

We are proud of our history and culture and believe in our business values of, Quality, Teamwork, Efficiencies, Pride and Ownership which are reflected through our people.  

 

Responsibilities

 

The Assistant Buyer is an ambassador of our vision and values and demonstrates a professional, consistent approach to all supplier and internal stakeholder interactions.

 

Purchasing Operations & MRP

• Prepare and raise purchase orders (POs) and order schedules in line with MRP requirements for raw materials.
• Support the Buyer with scheduling of key materials and packaging components and ordering through MRP.
• Take ownership of the customer-supplied MRP, ensuring accuracy and timely updates.
• Liaise directly with customers regarding customer-supplied materials, ensuring these materials are approved and delivered in time for production.
• Liaise with the Buyer/Senior Buyer and internal teams (Planning, Sales, Warehouse, Operations) regarding MRP requirements and supply status.

 

Inbox, Order Confirmations & System Accuracy

• Proactively manage the purchasing inbox, confirm POs, and manage price or material changes, challenging these where required.
• Use accurate confirmation statuses on the Solvitt system to reflect each stage of the order process and ensure the Planning team has the most up-to-date information.
• Take ownership of the Outstanding Orders report; chase unconfirmed POs with suppliers and/or the Warehouse team.
• Review supplier order trackers, ensure information is reflected accurately in the system, and challenge any delays.

 

Supplier Performance & OTIF

• Solely manage OTIF reporting across the top 30 supply chain, utilising LD codes to capture reasons for delay.
• Assist suppliers to achieve a minimum OTIF of 94.5% and communicate the 96.5% target; raise service-provider non-conformances where scores fall below 94.5%.
• Gather supplier data and produce performance dashboards; contribute to a performance-measured supply chain showing continuous improvement.

 

Data, Codes & Root-Cause Capture

• Utilise PPV codes and LD codes to capture accurate information relating to POs (e.g., reasons for delays or price increases); ensure any price increase is supported by appropriate evidence.

 

Indirect Procurement & Projects

• Place orders for indirect goods and liaise with stakeholders across the business on indirect projects and requirements.
• Support the Senior Buyer with the scope and execution of indirect projects.
• Raise indirect POs through the MRP system up to £10,000 following the appropriate Delegation of Authority (DOA) process; discuss any indirect orders above this value with the Senior Buyer prior to raising.

 

Financials & Invoicing

• Manage invoice queries with the Accounts team and suppliers; contact suppliers to resolve price, quality, delivery, or invoice issues as needed.
• Forward any invoices sent to the Purchasing team to Accounts Payable for processing.

 

Consumables Management

• Own the consumables purchasing process and support the Senior Buyer in driving efficiencies in this area.

 

Quality & Non-Conformances

• Support the Quality team in raising and sending non-conformances (materials or packaging) to the supply chain and track supplier responses.

 

Sourcing & Re-sourcing

• Source and re-source materials from the trusted supply base as required to ensure continuity of supply and value for money.
• During the sourcing process ensure that any new suppliers follow the Bee Health supplier approval process.

 

Reporting, Communication & Continuous Improvement

• Track and report on cost-saving activities; support procurement cost-down initiatives.
• Prepare reports and updates; monitor and advise on issues that present risk or opportunity to the organisation.
• Act as an interface between suppliers and relevant departments on purchasing processes, new projects, and activities; communicate any supply problems that may impact the business to the Purchasing Manager.
• Work closely with Sales and Planning for continuous improvement and wider business benefits.

 

Compliance, Ethics, Health & Safety

• Ensure compliance with company guidelines, purchasing policies and procedures—including the UK Anti-Bribery Act—during supplier negotiations and contract award processes.
• Adhere to health, safety, and environmental policies and procedures to ensure the wellbeing of self, staff, and visitors.
• Support the development of the Purchasing Team ESG process including implementation of a scoring matrix and how this process is implemented during the supplier on boarding process and keeping the information up to date.

 

 

Person specification

 

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong verbal communication; able to present data clearly.
• Critical thinker and problem solver; logical and able to plan ahead.
• Builds relationships quickly; exceptional interpersonal skills to resolve complex issues, fostering strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Highly motivated self-starter; able to work on own initiative, occasionally remote from the team.
• Excellent computer skills (MS Office & Excel). ERP experience preferred but not essential.
• Experience in data analytics; ownership of data integrity and accuracy.
• Strong time-management and organisational skills.

 

Experience / Technical Skills

• Effective organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and, where appropriate, delegate.
• Analytical and problem-solving capability; able to advise on suitable solutions to meet organisational needs.
• Effective verbal and written communication; confident presenter.
• Understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity.
• Ability to handle difficult/sensitive situations professionally.
• Ability to manage, motivate, and develop people.
• Resilient under pressure; able to meet a varied, time-critical workload.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams on indirect projects.
• Knowledge of when to prioritise business-critical objectives to prevent downtime in production.
• Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency, ensuring timely action to support operational continuity.
• Ability to anticipate supply risks before they affect production and escalate proactively.
• Experience working in a fast-paced FMCG or manufacturing environment is desirable.
• Demonstrate commitment to Bee Health’s values: Quality, Teamwork, Efficiencies, Pride, Ownership.
• Participate in continuous improvement projects (Lean, process optimisation, data integrity practices).
• Support cross-functional collaboration with Planning, Quality, R&D, Sales, and Operations teams.
• Experience using MRP/ERP systems to maintain accurate data (inventory, lead times, supplier info).
• Ability to produce procurement reports for supplier reviews, OTIF reviews, and management meetings.
• High level of numeracy to validate pricing, PPV entries, and cost-saving opportunities.