Direct Sourcing Assistant

Rexel is a global leader in electrical wholesale, distributing advanced electrical and energy-efficient products worldwide. We deliver smart, sustainable solutions engineered to enhance comfort, safety, and security across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

We are looking for a Direct Sourcing Assistant to join our team. Reporting to the Direct Sourcing Lead, you will provide accurate, timely administrative, operational, and coordination support for direct-sourced products. You will play a vital role in helping ensure supplier activity, purchase orders, product information, shipping documentation, and internal communications are effectively managed through to delivery.

This is a hybrid role offering excellent remote working flexibility, with travel into Head Office (Birmingham B26) once a week, alongside the requirement to travel across our network when needed for key meetings and collaborative sessions.

The Benefits of a Career with Rexel

Contributory pension scheme and life assurance x4 salary when you join scheme

Bonuses: Performance Related Bonus scheme

• Time Off: 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays, increasing throughout the years too!) You can also buy and sell holiday and enjoy enhanced parental leave
• Support & Development: Extensive learning opportunities from day one.
• Health & Wellbeing: Free virtual GP service, Healthy Mind Champions, and more!
• Perks: Staff discounts, exclusive holiday offers and free financial support and education
• In this role, your responsibilities will span across order & data management, supplier coordination, international shipping compliance, and internal communication:
• Support the Sourcing Lead with direct-sourcing activity and maintain effective supplier engagement.
• Coordinate with overseas suppliers and Group subsidiaries on RFQs, quotations, samples, specifications, and product information.
• Manage purchase orders from creation through production, shipping, and delivery, proactively tracking commitments, lead times, and queries.
• Maintain accurate, comprehensive records for suppliers, products, pricing, sourcing, and compliance.
• Maintain precise product and cost data, including technical specifications, packaging details, country of origin, weights, and dimensions.
• Manage and thoroughly check shipping and import documentation, including customs paperwork, HS codes, tariffs, freight, duty, and landed-cost information.
• Monitor shipments and deliveries closely, while proactively escalating and resolving delays, shortages, labelling errors, documentation issues, and other discrepancies.
• Coordinate communications, required actions, and necessary follow-up across Sourcing, Commercial, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Product Data, Warehouses, and Branches.
• At Rexel, we prioritise hiring individuals based on behaviours and potential, rather than requiring specific formal qualifications for roles, the behaviours that will set you up for success include:
• COLLABORATION – Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• TAKES ACCOUNTABILTY – Takes action, addresses obstacles to get work done and meets commitments
• CUSTOMER FOCUS – Building strong customer relationships & delivers customer centric solutions
• BUSINESS INSIGHT - Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization’s goals
• In addition to these behaviours you will benefit from demonstrating:
• Supplier coordination, including RFQs, quotations, samples and specifications.
• Knowledge of import, shipping, customs, HS codes, tariffs and landed costs.
• Strong tracking, reporting, record-keeping and document-control skills.
• Effective stakeholder communication, follow-up and issue escalation.
• Experience in sourcing, buying, supply chain, import/export or purchasing; relevant industry experience desirable.
• At Rexel UK, we’re all about welcoming people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives because we know that diversity drives fresh ideas and great results.
• By coming together as one team, we’re building a high-performance culture that not only drives success but also creates real value for our customers and communities.
• Creating an environment where individuality is celebrated and creativity flourishes, we're making sure everyone feels supported and confident to be their best.