Purchasing Assistant — Footwear
Hermès Sellier in Pantin (Île‑de‑France) seeks a Purchasing Assistant — Footwear (apprenticeship) to manage supplier panels, pricing and procurement processes.
Overview
Hermès Sellier is the luxury French maison renowned for artisanal craftsmanship and vertically integrated product houses. The Footwear métier operates alongside Hermès’ creative, development and industrialisation teams and collaborates with manufacturing partners in France and Italy. As an employer, Hermès emphasizes long-term supplier relationships, meticulous quality standards and a culture of craftsmanship.
Role & Responsibilities
- Support the definition and implementation of purchasing strategy for new product families in collaboration with the buyer and cross‑functional teams (development, industrialisation, supply chain).
- Analyse supplier panels (turnover, volume trends, market share, competitiveness, innovation) and contribute to supplier selection decisions.
- Set up category purchasing processes including budget forecasting, volume projections, market share allocation and action plans.
- Manage supplier panel performance: prepare evaluation dossiers, collect internal and external data, organise performance review meetings with suppliers.
- Coordinate the collection and analysis of price proposals for each collection phase; ensure completeness and timeliness of price sheets.
- Assess offers for technical and commercial coherence (price breakdowns, technical expertise, benchmarking, inflation) and support negotiation activities.
- Monitor technical product changes during production and analyse corresponding price adjustments; follow purchasing process through to contract signature with manufacturers.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives for purchasing practices and in transversal projects to develop supplier knowledge tools and harmonised processes.
Qualifications
- Current student in an engineering school or business school with a specialization in purchasing, enrolled in an apprenticeship curriculum.
- Rigorous, detail‑oriented and highly organised.
- Strong numerical aptitude with good analytical and synthesis capabilities.
- Autonomous, proactive and able to take initiative.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and active listening.
- Sensitivity to manufacturing environments and production culture.
- Italian language skills are a plus; willingness to travel to Italy when required.
Skills
Experience
Open to beginners and students; suitable for candidates in an apprenticeship programme. No prior professional experience is required, though any exposure to procurement or supplier management is advantageous.
Education
In training — engineering school or business school with a specialization in purchasing (apprenticeship).
Culture
Hermès fosters an environment grounded in craft, attention to detail and inter‑disciplinary collaboration across creative and industrial teams. The maison values ethical sourcing, long‑term supplier partnerships and inclusion, offering a workplace where technical excellence and respect for heritage coexist with continuous improvement.