What Are the Duties of a Purchasing Assistant?

Purchasing departments acquire the necessary supplies for companies, such as paper, office supplies, cleaning products and paper supplies for bathrooms or employee lounges. Purchasing assistants form part of the team of professionals that staff purchasing departments.

Function

The function of a purchasing assistant is to complete routine tasks so purchasing managers may concentrate fully on matters like negotiating prices and developing or analyzing budgets for the purchasing department.

Types of Duties

Purchasing assistants place orders online or over the phone with existing suppliers, contact departments or branches with questions about supply requests and check on the whereabouts of supplies if there is a delay in shipping. Assistants also perform clerical tasks like answering phones, making photocopies and sending faxes for the purchasing director.

Skills

To be successful at performing their duties, purchasing assistants must possess organizational skills, effective communication abilities and knowledge of software programs like word processors, spreadsheets, databases and email.

Education

Although there is no formal education necessary to perform the duties of a purchasing assistant, most employers prefer to hire assistants with a minimum of a high school diploma or GED.

Compensation

As of January 2010, purchasing assistants averaged annual salaries of $47,000, according to Indeed.com.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Purchasing Managers, Buyers and Purchasing Agents
• Ingham County: Job Description
• Indeed.com: Purchasing Assistant Salaries