| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Procurement and Purchase |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Sourcing Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 1 to 3 years in sourcing or purchase support |
Sourcing Executive job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Sourcing Executive
Department: Procurement and Purchase
Reports to: Sourcing Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Sourcing Executive finds new suppliers and collects the quotations the sourcing team needs to compare. They scan the market for capable vendors, build and update the vendor database, send out enquiries and gather offers, and support the specialists and managers running sourcing events. The role reports to the Sourcing Manager. A good sourcing executive keeps a growing pool of qualified vendors ready, turns enquiries around fast, brings in competitive quotes for every buy, and lays clean groundwork so sourcing decisions rest on real options.
Key responsibilities
- Scan the market and identify new suppliers for the categories the team sources.
- Send enquiries and requests for quotation to suppliers and gather their offers.
- Collect and organise quotations into comparison sheets for the team to evaluate.
- Build and update the vendor database with capability, capacity and contact details.
- Do first checks on new suppliers such as registration, GST and basic references.
- Follow up suppliers for missing information, samples and revised offers.
- Support sourcing events by preparing enquiry documents and collating responses.
- Track enquiry status and turnaround so no buy waits for want of quotes.
- Help onboard selected suppliers by collecting documents and setting up records.
- Keep sourcing trackers and supplier records current and complete.
Requirements
- Graduate in commerce, engineering or arts
- A purchase or supply chain course is an advantage
- Basic knowledge of GST and vendor documents
- 1 to 3 years in sourcing or purchase support
KRAs and KPIs for a Sourcing Executive
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Vendor pool | New qualified suppliers added to the database against the monthly target |
| Quote coverage | Enquiries returning three or more comparable quotes above the agreed share |
| Turnaround | Quotation comparison sheets prepared within the agreed time |
| Database quality | Vendor records complete and current above the agreed level |
| Follow up | Pending offers and samples chased within the target time |
| Event support | Sourcing event documents prepared on schedule |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: MS Excel, SAP Ariba, Supplier directories, GeM portal, Email.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Strategic Sourcing Specialist, Sourcing Manager, Commodity Buyer
Interview questions for a Sourcing Executive
- How do you find new suppliers for a category with few known vendors?
- How do you get suppliers to return quotes quickly and completely?
- How do you set up a clear comparison sheet from several quotes?
- What first checks do you make on a new supplier before adding them?
- How do you keep the vendor database from going stale?
- How do you support a sourcing event running to a tight deadline?
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What does a Sourcing Executive do?
A Sourcing Executive finds new suppliers and collects the quotes the team compares. They scan the market, send enquiries, gather and organise offers, build the vendor database and support sourcing events. Their job is a ready pool of qualified vendors and competitive quotes so sourcing decisions rest on real options.
What is the difference between a Sourcing Executive and a Sourcing Manager?
A Sourcing Executive does the groundwork: finding suppliers, sending enquiries, collecting quotes and keeping the vendor database. A Sourcing Manager plans and runs the events, evaluates offers, leads negotiation and decides the award. The executive supplies the options; the manager makes the call.
How do you become a Sourcing Executive?
Most sourcing executives start with a graduate degree in commerce, engineering or arts and often begin in purchase support or as a buyer. A purchase or supply chain course helps. Employers value market scanning, follow up and comparison skills and comfort with spreadsheets and supplier portals.