buyer.

Buyer primarily source goods and services. What exactly you do depends on your role, the industry, and the size of the company. Find out more about your responsibilities as a buyer here.

In purchasing, you take on various roles and responsibilities. These mainly depend on the size of the company. In smaller businesses, you're more of a generalist. In large corporations, you specialise. Below, you'll find a selection: 

• Strategic buyer: As a strategic buyer, you are the head of the department. You develop and optimise procurement strategies. In doing so, you decide which goods or services to purchase, from whom, and when. You always keep an eye on market and product developments.
• Operational buyer: Operational buyers are the hands-on team members of the company. You handle the day-to-day activities, including placing orders, managing complaints, and often checking invoices. Your role is to ensure that production and sales are sufficiently supplied.
• Supply chain manager: In this role, you are responsible for the entire supply chain. Your function goes beyond just procurement. You coordinate and optimise the processes along the value chain. You ensure that everything runs smoothly from sourcing through production to delivery. Your job is to minimise costs in order to gain a competitive advantage.
• Commodity manager / Lead buyer: This role is primarily found in large companies with multiple sites. You act as the main purchaser, negotiating framework agreements to cover the overall requirements. In smaller organisations, your responsibilities as lead buyer are limited to a specific product group. Since you consolidate the purchasing for all locations at the central office within the group, you are able to secure better terms and conditions.
• Project buyer: As a project buyer, you bring together many different strands. In most cases, you are assigned to a development project right through to mass production. Your responsibilities include the entire procurement process, from selecting suppliers and sourcing samples to delivering the finished product. You work closely with the Commodity Manager, who then takes over the ongoing serial production. You serve as the link between procurement, development, manufacturing, and sales.

As a buyer, you'll find a wide range of gross salaries. This is primarily due to the different roles and responsibilities within purchasing. The greater your level of responsibility, the higher your earnings. Your qualifications, professional experience, and the size of the company also influence your salary. Some organisations attract you with additional benefits such as performance bonuses or in-kind perks. Typical job platforms estimate an average starting salary of around 88,000 CHF per year, which equates to approximately 7,300 CHF per month. Find out more here about your gross salary as a buyer.

Various training pathways support your career in purchasing. You have a solid foundation with a completed basic education as a merchandiser EFZ. Gaining experience in a company's purchasing department allows you to learn the key responsibilities of a buyer. The course certificate as a purchasing clerk EFZ confirms your basic knowledge. You can also acquire specialised skills in digitalisation, customs, quality management, and supplier management through further training. After successful completion, you may earn titles such as Certified Digital Procurement Manager, Customs & Trade Professional, or Supplier Quality Manager. If you are interested in public administration, understanding legal frameworks and compliance codes (ethics) is essential. Prepare for this with specialised courses. As a Public Procurement Specialist with a federal diploma, you meet the strict requirements. For those drawn to the wider world, international trade offers exciting opportunities. You can gain the necessary expertise through courses such as International Trade Specialist with a federal diploma or International Procurement. Thanks to the numerous available further training options, you can enhance your value as a buyer within the organisation.

Qualified purchasing professionals are in demand in the labour market. You will find interesting job opportunities in every industry. Usually, you choose the sector that suits you best. This could be in the retail of consumer goods, the IT and communications sector, or in the hospitality industry. Whether it's a medium-sized company or an international corporation, all of them employ buyers. There are numerous vacancies for every purchasing role. Are you looking for an attractive position where you can make a real contribution? Take a look at our current vacancies for buyers on this page.

As a buyer, you specialise in sourcing goods or services for a company. You prepare yourself through a basic commercial education. Therefore, career changers from related professions often have a good foundation. In particular, logisticians with the ambition to develop further are in demand within businesses. You can improve your prospects with several years of professional experience in areas such as materials management, logistics, or purchasing.

Your career as a buyer offers many opportunities for advancement. The key requirement for a management career is your willingness to develop further. For example, a practical-oriented training course as a buyer can give your career a real boost. With the federal diploma in hand, you meet all the prerequisites to lead staff. Thanks to your specialised knowledge and social skills, you have the purchasing department and the procurement team under control. If you’re aiming for a position as Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), you will need to have completed a degree. Part-time further education options include the CAS HF in Procurement and the MAS Supply Management Excellence. Some companies favour a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a specialisation in Digital Supply Chain. Continuing professional development pays off for you as a buyer. Together with logistics and sales, you help keep the company competitive and secure its success. Want to get started as a buyer? Take a look at our tests and tips.

As a buyer, you’re familiar with the industry and the market. However, that alone isn’t enough to succeed. Other important skills include:

•  Analytical thinking: As a good buyer, you translate the company's requirements into a successful procurement strategy. This involves analysing market players, developments, and taking trends into account. You recognise the right timing for contracts and identify areas where you can optimise.
• Negotiation skills: When dealing with suppliers, you negotiate delivery terms and prices. You know how far you can push and when to back off. Your motto is live and let live. You prefer to have a reliable supplier rather than squeeze out the last penny.
• Relationship management: In your profession, you rely on dependable business partners. That’s why you invest a lot of time in building and maintaining relationships. You establish resilient networks that you can draw on when needed. Thanks to your good rapport with all your business contacts, you benefit early from trends and developments. Additionally, you can count on your partners even in challenging times. Social skills support you both internally and externally.
• Risk awareness: As a buyer, you are the risk manager within the organisation. You are aware that unforeseen events can cause prices to spike. Due to adverse circumstances, suppliers may sometimes be unable to deliver. For these scenarios, you have a Plan B in place to ensure the availability of goods.
• Digital affinity: Digitalisation opens up new opportunities for buyers to secure better terms and conduct successful negotiations. Digital technologies simplify your administrative tasks. For example, you can utilise AI tools to manage global framework agreements. Text-based dialogue systems (chatbots) increase your tender success rate. Many data sources now provide real-time information, allowing you to identify issues early on. By setting up a warning system, you can immediately see what is negatively impacting your supply chain. This enables you to take proactive measures straight away.

There are many good reasons to work at Randstad as a buyer.
✓ exciting jobs at well-known companies
✓ a reliable point of contact whenever you need one; personalised advice matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ further education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed-term contract? Often, there’s the opportunity to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many well-known companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad. 

your training budget as a buyer at randstad.

If you work as a buyer for Randstad, you have access to further training courses. As part of the temp training programme from swissstaffing, you can attend training sessions. You will get the course fees reimbursed later, provided you pass the course exam. Your consultant from Randstad is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can acquire additional language skills or job-specific knowledge—all during your working hours as a buyer.

Have you found your dream job as a buyer? It’s not just qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error-free, and personalised documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to optimise your chances:

Here you will find frequently asked questions and the answers regarding the role of a buyer.