Purchasing Assistant

We are looking for a dedicated, energetic and flexible Purchasing Assistant with the right mindset to join and strengthen our purchasing team (7 members in Purchasing and 4 members in the Stores) based at the EMBL headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. The position has a fixed-term period of one year.

Within the Administration, the EMBL Purchase Department handles all purchase related activities according to the best-value-for-money principle in an international environment and provides state-of-the-art service to the scientific and administrative community. This position reports to the Head of Purchase Department in Heidelberg.

EMBL has embarked on a journey towards a more efficient, more streamlined and connected future by implementing the Workday cloud-based platform across its HR, Finance and Procurement areas; a cutting-edge solution that promises to redefine the way EMBL’s administration operates and interacts and enhance collaboration across the organization. The Workday solution will replace the current SAP ERP system (SAP Material Management module) in February 2027.

The Procurement team is currently dedicating significant resources to the project implementation. To ensure uninterrupted support to our scientific community, we are seeking a Purchasing Assistant to provide operational purchasing support during this transition.

In this role, you will ensure the timely processing of orders for scientific and administrative departments while most of the core Procurement team will focus on the Workday implementation project.

Due to the upcoming ERP transition, the position requires mastering computing tools and the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a strong interest and affinity for digitization and to embrace change.

Duties and Responsibilities

Process purchase orders for laboratory chemicals and consumables, Amazon and other routine goods and services in SAP and in Workday from February 2027.
Ensure timely and accurate order placement.
Monitor order confirmations, deliveries and resolve routine purchasing queries.