The Opportunity:
Purchasing role - Order placement; pricing updates/comparisons; invoice reconciliation and responding to customer queries
Purchasing Assistant – Hybrid (Cambridge)
Company: Avantor
Location: Cambridge, UK (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-time
Avantor Services provides a wide range of on-site laboratory support services for leading pharmaceutical companies. We work in close partnership with our clients to deliver essential scientific and operational activities that keep their labs running smoothly.
We are looking for aPurchasing Assistant to join our team at one of our key customer sites in Cambridge. This role is central to managing purchasing activities, supplier communication, and ensuring smooth operations for laboratory supplies and related services.
Your Day-to-Day Includes
1. Acting as theprimary contact for lab supply orders and finance inquiries.
2. Managing communication between suppliers and customers.
3. Administering contract documentation and maintaining supplier files and data.
4. Handling daily inquiries and platform updates promptly and courteously.
5. Preparing sourcing reports and ensuring compliance with purchasing policies.
6. Assisting project teams with supplier information entry and document maintenance.
7. Conductingprice negotiations, requesting quotations
8. Sourcing products by reviewing market offerings to ensure optimal price and quality.
9. Handling invoice deviations and proactively managing lead times and follow-ups.
10. Managing purchase and case systems and performing goods receipt in the purchasing system.
11. Supporting additional administrative tasks assigned by the line manager.
What You Bring to the Team
12. A high school diploma or equivalent (additional studies in business, logistics, or related fields are a plus; chemical or life sciences background is advantageous).
13. Ideally2+ years of experience in an administrative or purchasing support role.
14. Experience: We will consider candidates from science and procurement environments – you may have knowledge/experience in the laboratory and decided to move to an office-based role, or you have interest/knowledge of procurement and would like to expand on it in an industry-leading business.
15. Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
16. Strong organizational and communication skills.
17. Meticulous attention to detail for record-keeping and documentation.
18. Proactive, flexible, and a natural problem-solver.
Why Join Us?
At Avantor Services, you’ll be part of a collaborative team that values efficiency, innovation, and continuous improvement. This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment where your contributions directly support scientific progress.
Ready to apply?
Submit your application today and help us deliver exceptional service to our clients!
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Disclaimer:
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Why Avantor?
Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science.
The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor.
We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world. Apply today!
EEO Statement:
We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
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3rd Party Non-Solicitation Policy:
By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.