Operations & Purchasing Assistant

You will be working with suppliers and internal teams to source materials, coordinate deliveries, manage stock and ensure projects and service operations remain well supplied.
The role will provide exposure to the wider project lifecycle, giving you an opportunity to develop your understanding of construction, engineering, procurement and commercial operations.
There is also genuine scope to develop your career through further training and professional development, with opportunities to gain exposure to areas such as estimating, commercial management and quantity surveying over time.

Manage purchasing of materials, equipment and plant across projects and service operations
Raise purchase orders and obtain competitive supplier quotations
Source bespoke and specialist items as required
Coordinate plant hire, off-hire, deliveries and collections
Monitor orders and resolve delivery issues, shortages and discrepancies
Receive, check and process deliveries, returns, credits and GRNs
Maintain accurate stock levels and support regular stock checks and annual stock takes
Assist with picking and preparing materials and equipment for project teams
Maintain an organised, safe and efficient warehouse and yard
Maintain supplier records, pricing information and the company price book
Support supplier onboarding, warranty claims and general procurement administration
Provide project teams with procurement and pricing information
Assist with CVR and wider commercial administration

This role suits someone who knows their way around construction materials, perhaps from a builders’ or plumbing merchant, a stores role or civils procurement.
The work splits between the desk and the stores: raising and tracking purchase orders, sourcing prices and dealing with suppliers, then checking deliveries in, picking orders and keeping stock accurate.
You’ll be technically minded and good with numbers, the sort of person who spots a problem with an order or delivery early and sorts it out without waiting to be asked. Curiosity about how the business works will count for a lot, as there is scope to progress into quantity surveying, estimating or commercial management.

Experience of procurement in the civils or building trade
Experience of warehouse management and stock control, including picking orders
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
Strong numeracy and literacy, with good written and verbal communication
Technically minded, with good problem-solving ability
Able to organise and prioritise a varied workload to meet deadlines
Able to carry out the manual handling involved in stores and yard work
Full driving licence
Based within 60 minutes of our Wiveliscombe office

Experience of, or good knowledge of, construction, groundworks or civils
A builders’ or plumbing merchant background
Knowledge of drainage, plumbing and civils parts

This is a full-time, permanent position, Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm, based at our Wiveliscombe office. The salary is £32,000 to £38,000, depending on experience.
WCI also offers a well-rounded benefits package after probation, including:

Health and wellbeing support through a paid health cash plan
Life cover, providing financial security for your family
Employer pension contributions
Flexible holiday trading options
Eligibility for an annual performance bonus
Ongoing training, development and upskilling opportunities

If you’re a practical problem-solver who takes pride in quality work and wants to be part of a growing, values-led business, we’d love to hear from you.