Suzanne from Purchasing

• • Purchasing

  • Tom
  • Suzanne

I graduated from university with a degree in economics and had no clear idea of what I wanted to do!

"Working in a purchasing environment has given me the opportunity to develop my communication skills, negotiation and analytical skills." Suzanne

So, after taking a gap year I began working at AZ on a temporary contract. My route onto the AZ Operations Graduate scheme was unconventional. I was fortunate to be offered a permanent position and then shortly after was sent on a 2-day graduate assessment centre. From this I was recruited onto the Operations graduate scheme.

What I enjoy about Operations is the diversity of roles and the links with other functions.  Working in Operations has given me insight into AZ supply chains and the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry.   Knowing I am working in a dynamic environment, in a competitive market is a huge motivation.

My current role is in UK Purchasing.  My job entails working with internal customers to discuss their requirements and meeting my suppliers to negotiate contracts and discuss performance. I am responsible for sourcing new suppliers and understanding the markets my suppliers are working in.  Working in this environment has given me the opportunity to develop my communication skills, negotiation and analytical skills.

The scope of Purchasing is vast with spend on items ranging from IT equipment to chemicals to plant maintenance contracts to HR recruitment agencies.  AZ spends 'a lot of money and we are constantly looking to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

With such scope there is plenty of career development opportunities within purchasing.  There is the opportunity to specialise in certain products/categories or to move to different areas of purchasing supporting different parts of the business.

What I enjoy most about working at AZ is the variety of people you get to work with. The site seems so big when you first join but you soon get to know many friendly faces.  With so many roles and inter-linking departments the variety of career paths is huge. On the flip side all these people mean constant demands on your time; phone calls, queries and questions galore in any one day!