Purchasing Assistant at SKA South Africa

Job Summary

The SKA Observatory seeks a proactive Purchasing Assistant to support procurement activities under the guidance of the SKA-Mid Procurement Specialist. Responsibilities include managing purchase orders, collaborating with stakeholders, ensuring policy adherence, and providing general support to the team.

Key Responsibilities:

•  Acquisition of goods, work and services
•  Delivery/Logistics
•  Open order follow ups
•  Supplier Management
•  Complete supplier credit applications
•  Work according to the Procurement Manual to source goods and services, including assisting the Procurement Specialist with requests for quotation and invitations to tender
•  Update Procurement Reports
•  Support the broader SKAO Procurement team providing assistance with Tenders, including activities such as supplier analysis, gathering documentation and scheduling meetings
•  Assist with supplier relationship management
•  Provide excellent customer service to internal stakeholders

Key Requirements:
Qualification:

•  A minimum CIPS level 3 accreditation coupled with three years relevant working experience within a procurement/supply chain environment; OR
•  A Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies, Law or Economics coupled with one year relevant working experience within a procurement/supply chain environment. (MCIPS advantageous)

Experience:

•  A minimum CIPS level 3 accreditation coupled with three years relevant working experience within a procurement/commercial environment;

 OR

•  A Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies, Law or Economics coupled with one year relevant working experience within a procurement/commercial environment. (MCIPS advantageous).
•  ERP system experience advantageous

Knowledge:

• Understanding of procurement procedures and principles

Additional Notes:
Competency – Essential:

• Microsoft Office
• Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides
• Administrative skills: Proficiency in basic administrative tasks such as data entry, filing, and document management to support procurement operations.
• Attention to detail: Ability to accurately review and process procurement documents, contracts, and purchase orders while maintaining attention to detail to avoid errors.
• Communication skills: Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, to liaise with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and team members.
• Organizational skills: Strong organizational abilities to manage multiple tasks, prioritize workload, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced procurement environment.
• Analytical skills: Basic analytical skills to interpret procurement data, identify trends, and support decision-making processes.
• Teamwork: Willingness to collaborate with colleagues, share knowledge, and contribute to team objectives to achieve common goals.
• Customer service orientation: Understanding the needs of internal customers and providing responsive and supportive service throughout the procurement process.
• Compliance awareness: Awareness of procurement policies, procedures, and regulations to ensure adherence and compliance with organizational and legal requirements.

Skills:

• Ability to deliver excellent customer service outcomes, either for internal or external customers, and the ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal
• Ability to take ownership of allocated tasks and awareness of how to prioritise given tasks, manage time efficiently and meet deadlines
• Strong ethics, with an ability to manage confidential data.
• Strong attention to detail.
• A self-motivated team player who is flexible and adaptable to change (to situations and personalities)
• Positive attitude and can-do approach to all tasks
• Familiarity with MS Office applications such as Outlook, Excel and Word