Sourcing Assistant

1What you'd actually do

• Researching potential suppliers — searching supplier databases, trade directories and online marketplaces, and putting together shortlists with basic information on capability, location, lead times and indicative price
• Preparing and sending out requests for quotation or information (an RFQ or RFI — a standard document asking suppliers to quote against a specification), then chasing suppliers who haven't replied
• Building comparison spreadsheets that line up supplier quotes side by side on price, minimum order quantity, lead time and terms, so a buyer or category manager can decide
• Chasing and logging samples in product-sourcing roles — tracking which sample arrived when, whether it met the spec, and feeding comments back to the supplier
• Keeping supplier and product records up to date in the company's systems — new supplier set-up forms, price lists, product codes, certificates and compliance documents
• Collecting supplier paperwork such as insurance certificates, audit reports, testing or ethical-audit documents, and flagging anything missing or expired
• Sitting in on supplier calls and internal meetings to take notes and pick up actions, and following up on those actions afterwards

2How graduates get in

• Direct entry as a Sourcing Assistant, Buying Assistant, Procurement Assistant or Assistant Buyer — this is the most common route, and vacancies are advertised year-round rather than only in a graduate recruitment season
• Buying and merchandising graduate schemes at larger retailers, which usually rotate you through sourcing, buying and merchandising placements — competitive, and concentrated in the retail sector
• Procurement or supply chain graduate schemes in manufacturing, engineering, FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods, i.e. food, drink and household products), utilities and the public sector
• Internal moves — starting in a customer service, warehouse, admin or supply chain coordinator role and moving across into sourcing, which is very common in smaller companies
• Temporary or fixed-term contract work through recruitment agencies, especially cover for busy seasons or maternity leave, which often converts into a permanent role
• Placement years or summer internships in buying, merchandising or procurement, which are a strong route in because the same teams often recruit their placement students back

3What employers ask for

• A degree is commonly asked for but the subject usually matters less than you'd think. Business, supply chain, logistics, economics, fashion buying and management degrees are the most obvious fits, but plenty of people come in from unrelated subjects
• Some employers, particularly smaller ones and some retailers, don't require a degree at all and will take A-levels or a BTEC plus relevant admin or retail experience
• Grades are rarely a hard barrier outside structured graduate schemes; schemes are more likely to specify a 2:1 or a UCAS points threshold
• Confident spreadsheet skills — this is often tested at interview or with a short exercise, because so much of the job is building and checking comparison tables
• For product sourcing in fashion and homeware, some commercial awareness of the market and an interest in product is expected; a portfolio or placement experience helps
• CIPS (the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) qualifications — usually studied while working rather than required upfront. Some employers fund and expect this, others never mention it; it matters far more in indirect procurement and the public sector than in retail buying

4Skills that matter

5Where it leads

1. Sourcing Assistant or Assistant Buyer — the first couple of years are largely about learning the product range or category, the supplier base and the internal systems

2. Sourcing Executive, Buyer or Procurement Officer — you start owning your own suppliers or a small part of a category, negotiating directly and making recommendations rather than just preparing them

3. Category Manager, Senior Buyer or Sourcing Manager — responsibility for the strategy and total spend of a category, and often for junior staff. Timeframes here vary a great deal depending on employer size, turnover in the team and whether you move companies

4. Head of Procurement, Sourcing Director or Head of Buying — leading the function, setting supplier strategy and managing budgets

5. Sideways moves are common and often deliberate: into supply chain planning, merchandising, product development, category insight, supplier quality or sustainability and ethical sourcing roles

6Where this varies

The biggest split is between "direct" sourcing (goods a company sells or puts into its products — common in retail, fashion, food and manufacturing) and "indirect" sourcing (everything the business buys to run itself, such as IT, facilities, marketing services and temporary staff — common in banks, professional services and the public sector). Direct sourcing involves samples, specifications, product quality and often overseas factories; indirect sourcing involves contracts, service levels and internal stakeholders. Public sector and utilities sourcing is heavily shaped by formal procurement rules and tender processes, so there is more documentation, more emphasis on fair and auditable process, and less informal negotiation. Company size matters too: in a large retailer you may support one buyer on one narrow product area, while in a small business you may cover the whole supplier base and end up doing logistics and admin alongside sourcing. Job titles are also inconsistent — Sourcing Assistant, Buying Assistant, Procurement Assistant, Assistant Buyer and Sourcing Coordinator often describe overlapping work, so read the duties rather than the title.