Retail Jobs

Woolworths Buyers Assistant Vacancy 2026

Woolworths invites suitably qualified applicants to apply for the Buyers Assistant: Dairy Vacancy in its Foods business unit. The closing date for applications is 25 September 2026. This is a full-time opportunity based in South Africa and is suitable for candidates who have Matric (Grade 12) and at least 2 years of relevant administration experience.

If you are good with numbers, enjoy working with people and have strong administration skills, this could be an opportunity to take the next step in your career. The successful candidate will work closely with the Dairy Buying team and provide support to the Buyer with important buying, pricing, supplier, reporting and administration tasks.

About the Woolworths Buyers Assistant: Dairy Role

The Buyers Assistant will play an important support role within the Dairy team. The main purpose of the position is to help the Buyer manage the daily buying processes needed to reach the department’s commercial goals.

The job involves much more than basic office administration. You will work with suppliers, buyers, planners and other teams to make sure information is correct and that products are available when needed.

Some of the key areas you will support include:

  • Pricing and promotions
  • Supplier communication
  • Ordering
  • Product availability
  • Reconciliation and billing support
  • New product launches
  • Reports and spreadsheets
  • System administration
  • Supplier follow-ups
  • Product information
  • Trading terms and contracts
  • Marketing and online product information

Woolworths is also looking for someone who is interested in learning more about the Dairy category. The successful candidate should be willing to understand the products, suppliers and buying processes while continuing to develop their own skills.

Minimum Requirements

Before applying, make sure you meet the main requirements for the position.

Applicants should have:

  • Matric (Grade 12)
  • At least 2 years of relevant administration experience
  • Good computer skills
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word
  • A basic understanding of retail accounting practices
  • A basic understanding of buying and planning

An Accounting Diploma will be an advantage, although it is not listed as a compulsory requirement.

Computer and System Skills

The Buyers Assistant role involves working with different systems and large amounts of information. Previous experience with certain systems will therefore be useful.

Experience with the following systems is listed as an advantage:

  • Supplier Portal
  • Oracle
  • COGNOS
  • CAM
  • JDA FF
  • FILA
  • RMS
  • FPI
  • COM Share

You do not need to assume that you must have experience with every system listed. However, any relevant system experience can be useful when applying for a role that involves buying administration and supplier information.

Strong Microsoft Office skills are also important. In particular, you should be comfortable using:

  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Word

Excel is especially useful because the position involves preparing reports, maintaining information and working with supplier and sales data.

Skills and Personal Qualities

Woolworths is looking for a person who can work accurately, communicate well and stay organised.

The successful candidate should have the following qualities:

Teamwork

You will work closely with Buyers, Planners, suppliers and other teams. Being able to work well with people at different levels is important.

Accuracy and Attention to Detail

The job involves pricing, product information, orders, reports and supplier data. Small mistakes can affect other parts of the business, so you need to check your work carefully.

Initiative

You should be able to look ahead and understand what the Buying team may need. Instead of always waiting for instructions, you should be willing to act when something needs attention.

Planning and Organisation

There will be several tasks and deadlines to manage. Good planning will help you complete your work on time.

Communication

Good written and verbal communication skills are required. You will regularly communicate with suppliers, buyers, planners and other teams.

Decision Making

You should be comfortable making routine decisions when the Buyer is not available, while understanding when a matter needs to be escalated.

Customer Service

A customer-focused approach is important, even though much of the work is related to buying and administration.

Working Under Pressure

Buying and retail environments can be busy, especially when there are urgent ordering or supply issues. You should be able to stay calm and focused when working under pressure.

Confidentiality and Integrity

You may work with business information that should not be shared. The successful candidate must be trustworthy and able to maintain confidentiality.

Working Hours and Weekend Availability

The position normally follows standard business hours.

However, applicants should be aware that the role may occasionally require weekend standby support. The successful candidate may also need to respond to operational incidents or urgent ordering requirements when necessary.

This means flexibility is important for the position.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The Buyers Assistant will perform a wide range of duties to support the Dairy Buying team.

Supplier Management

You will assist with the administrative side of supplier management.

This includes:

  • Communicating with suppliers daily.
  • Completing weekly reconciliation.
  • Following up with suppliers when information or action is required.
  • Making sure supplier information is accurate.
  • Communicating with Buyers and Planners about product supply and availability.
  • Helping ensure corrective action is taken on systems when needed.

Good communication and follow-up skills are important because the position involves regular contact with the supplier base.

Ordering Support

The successful candidate will provide support with orders.

This can include:

  • Creating orders.
  • Editing orders.
  • Providing ordering support to the Buying team.
  • Checking information linked to orders.
  • Helping with urgent ordering requirements when necessary.

The role also includes completing weekly bulk activities across a range of product lines.

Pricing and Promotions

Pricing and promotional work is another important part of the position.

The Buyers Assistant will assist with:

  • Saving pricing information in systems.
  • Supporting annual PI processes.
  • Managing the Promotional Planner.
  • Communicating promotional information to suppliers.
  • Making sure suppliers complete Promotional Check Sheets on time.
  • Submitting and loading promotions.
  • Checking that promotional information is correct.
  • Managing alignment of flash fonts across suppliers.

Accuracy is important because pricing and promotional information needs to be communicated correctly.

Reports and Excel Work

The position involves preparing and sending different reports.

You may be responsible for preparing:

  • Weekly sales reports per supplier.
  • Monthly sales reports per supplier.
  • Quarterly sales reports per supplier.
  • Margin reports.
  • Daily supplier shorts or order-fill reports.
  • Weekly supplier shorts or order-fill reports.
  • Departmental reports.
  • Excel worksheets.
  • Other business documents.

You will also help maintain margin information and send weekly reports to the relevant teams.

Meeting and Administration Support

The Buyers Assistant will provide general administrative support to the Buying team.

Duties may include:

  • Taking minutes during meetings.
  • Following up on outstanding issues discussed during meetings.
  • Booking meeting rooms.
  • Arranging coffee for meetings.
  • Arranging supplier parking.
  • Managing supplier files.
  • Updating supplier information.
  • Completing ad-hoc administrative duties.
  • Handling ad-hoc queries and requests.

Being organised will help you keep track of meetings, follow-ups and deadlines.

Product Information and Marketing Support

The position also connects the Buying team with other business areas.

The successful candidate may need to:

  • Provide product information to marketing teams.
  • Provide information to online teams.
  • Provide product information to selling teams.
  • Provide information to trade teams.
  • Manage online product images.
  • Source and provide product samples for product photo shoots.

This means the role can involve working across different teams, not only within the Dairy Buying department.

Contracts and Trading Terms

The Buyers Assistant will also support the preparation of contracts and trading terms.

This requires attention to detail because these documents contain important information relating to business relationships and supplier arrangements.

Maintaining Static Data

Another responsibility is maintaining and managing static data.

Keeping information up to date helps the Buying team and other departments work with accurate product and supplier information.

The successful candidate should therefore be comfortable working with data and checking information regularly.

Departmental Expenses

The role also includes departmental operating expense capturing and management.

This means the Buyers Assistant will assist with recording and managing information related to the department’s operating expenses.

Why Attention to Detail Matters

This position includes many tasks where accuracy is important.

For example, the Buyers Assistant may work with:

  • Product prices
  • Supplier information
  • Orders
  • Sales figures
  • Margins
  • Promotional information
  • Product descriptions
  • Product images
  • Contracts
  • Trading terms
  • Courier and meeting arrangements

A small error in one area could create extra work for another team. This is why Woolworths highlights accuracy, organisation and attention to detail as important skills for the position.

Job Details at a Glance

  • Company: Woolworths
  • Position: Buyers Assistant: Dairy
  • Reference Number: WWL260916-4
  • Business Unit: Foods
  • Job Type: Full Time
  • Location: South Africa
  • Minimum Qualification: Matric / Grade 12
  • Relevant Experience: At least 2 years of relevant administration experience
  • Accounting Diploma: An advantage
  • Closing Date: 25 September 2026

Before You Apply

Take time to check that your CV clearly shows your administration experience and computer skills.

If you have experience working with suppliers, buying teams, retail administration, Excel reports, pricing, ordering or planning, make sure these skills are easy to find on your CV.

It can also help to highlight your ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, communicate with different people and maintain accurate records.

The role requires someone who is proactive and willing to learn. Woolworths specifically highlights the importance of candidates being interested in learning more about the Dairy category and developing their skills.

Woolworths Buyers Assistant Closing Date

The closing date for the Woolworths Buyers Assistant: Dairy Vacancy is 25 September 2026.

This full-time Foods opportunity could suit an experienced administrator who wants to move further into buying, planning and retail operations. If you meet the requirements and are interested in the role, make sure your application is submitted before the closing date.

With responsibilities covering suppliers, orders, pricing, promotions, reports, product information and administration, the position offers exposure to several areas of the retail buying process while working as part of the Dairy team.

Ronald Williams

Hello, I'm Ronald Williams, a content publisher and social media marketer with 5 years of experience in the industry. My passion for creating engaging and informative content has allowed me to develop a strong skillset in writing, editing, and curating content across various platforms. From blog posts to social media captions, I have a keen eye for detail and a knack for crafting compelling stories that resonate with audiences. My expertise in social media marketing has enabled me to develop effective strategies that drive engagement and growth. I'm skilled in managing social media channels, analyzing data, and implementing tactics that improve performance and achieve business objectives. I'm constantly seeking new ways to stay on top of trends and adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape. Whether it's creating content or developing social media campaigns, I strive to deliver results that exceed expectations. With a proven track record of success, I'm confident in my ability to help businesses achieve their goals. Let's work together to tell your brand's story and connect with your audience in meaningful ways

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