We are seeking a Purchasing Officer to join our Rail & Transit Systems supply chain team in Auburn. In this role, your decisions will directly support fleet availability by helping ensure critical inventory and repairable components are sourced, tracked and delivered in line with operational requirements.
This is more than a data-entry or order-processing position. You will assess purchasing requirements, investigate demand, resolve supply issues and determine the appropriate action before purchase orders progress. Your attention to detail will help prevent unnecessary expenditure, supplier delays and disruptions to fleet maintenance activities.
You will become a trusted point of contact for stakeholders across engineering, planning, operations, stores, accounts payable and the supplier network. The environment is busy and process-driven, so you will need to communicate clearly, manage competing priorities and confidently ask questions when further information is needed.
You do not need to arrive with specialist rail or rotable purchasing knowledge. You will receive structured training, close support and an experienced team member to guide your development as you learn our systems, processes and supplier portfolio. This is an opportunity to build valuable supply chain expertise within a supportive team that has a strong record of developing and retaining its people.
Key Responsibilities
- Assess purchasing requests and make informed buying decisions that support fleet maintenance, supply continuity and responsible expenditure.
- Partner with engineering, planning, operations, stores and suppliers to clarify requirements and resolve supply challenges.
- Coordinate quotations, purchase orders, repairable components and supplier follow-up to meet operational demand.
- Maintain accurate purchasing, inventory and supplier information so stakeholders can make reliable decisions.
- Identify discrepancies, emerging risks and process improvements before they affect suppliers, payments or fleet availability.
What You Bring
- Strong customer service and stakeholder communication skills, with the confidence to build relationships and ask thoughtful questions.
- A systematic approach and close attention to detail when working with processes, records, technical information and competing priorities.
- Curiosity, sound judgement and a willingness to investigate issues rather than simply process information.
- The ability to learn new systems and follow established procedures in a busy, safety-focused environment.
- Experience from customer service, administration, accounts payable, logistics, inventory, retail operations or purchasing that demonstrates transferable capability.
About Downer
Your role at Downer can make the difference that matters by delivering integrated rail & transit systems that connect people, power freight and strengthen Australia's rail capability.
With more than 150 years' rail experience providing end-to-end, innovative transport solutions, we are a leading provider of rollingstock asset management services.
We are experts in delivering whole-of-life asset management support to our customers and our capability allows us to offer turnkey solutions for complex projects, across every project phase.
You want your work to matter and so do we. With over 26,000 people across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, our team is made up of individuals with unique perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas.
We know that diversity makes us stronger and we actively celebrate it through our commitment to inclusion and belonging.
We're committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve and we welcome people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, abilities, and lived experiences. We especially encourage applications from those whose voices have traditionally been underrepresented in our industry, including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Māori and Pasifika Peoples, veterans, people with disability, and neurodivergent individuals.
Even if your experience doesn't align perfectly with this role, we'd still like to hear from you. If it feels like the right fit, apply. Potential counts, and so do you.
As a WORK180 Endorsed Employer, we support flexibility that works for your life, inclusive leadership that values your voice, and equitable access to opportunity so you can do your best work and bring your whole self to it.
If you need support or adjustments through the recruitment process, just let us know. We're here to help you put your best foot forward.