Supplier Sourcing & Business Development Virtual Assistant

Supplier Sourcing & Business Development Virtual
Assistant

(Chemical Supply Chain & Procurement Support)

About the Company

An Australian chemical distribution and logistics company
specializing in sourcing, supplying, and distributing chemicals across various
industries including mining, manufacturing, construction, agriculture,
laboratories, universities, and research institutions.

The company sources products locally within Australia and
internationally across Asia—including India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and
Vietnam—to provide customers with competitive pricing and reliable logistics
solutions.

With increasing customer demand and expansion plans into New
Zealand, North America, Europe, and Asia, the business is looking for its first
long-term Virtual Assistant who can help build scalable supplier networks and
customer relationships while supporting future international growth.

Position Overview

We are seeking a proactive, highly organized, and
commercially minded Virtual Assistant to support supplier sourcing, procurement
research, customer inquiries, and business development.

Unlike a traditional administrative VA, this role requires
someone who enjoys research, relationship building, and creating organized
systems that will allow the company to scale internationally.

The successful candidate will become a key member of the
business, helping establish supplier databases, communicate with manufacturers
and distributors worldwide, assist with customer quotations, and eventually
grow into a leadership role managing future VAs as the company expands.

Primary Responsibilities

Supplier Research & Database Development

• Research
  Australian chemical suppliers
  
• Research
  international suppliers across:
  
• India
  
• China
  
• Malaysia
  
• Indonesia
  
• Vietnam
  
• Build
  and maintain a centralized supplier database
  
• Gather
  supplier product catalogs
  
• Identify
  preferred suppliers by region
  
• Organize
  supplier information by:
  
• Products
  
• Chemical
  grades
  
• Geographic
  location
  
• Lead
  times
  
• Logistics
  capability
  
• Maintain
  updated supplier records
  

The client emphasized that creating a comprehensive supplier
database is one of the highest priorities for scaling the business.

Procurement & Sourcing Support

• Source
  products based on customer inquiries
  
• Compare
  suppliers
  
• Request
  quotations
  
• Gather
  product specifications
  
• Verify
  product availability
  
• Research
  alternative suppliers
  
• Monitor
  pricing trends
  
• Assist
  with procurement decisions
  
• Support
  logistics coordination
  

Supplier Relationship Management

• Reach
  out to suppliers via professional email
  
• Request
  catalogs and pricing
  
• Build
  long-term supplier relationships
  
• Follow
  up on outstanding requests
  
• Coordinate
  documentation
  
• Maintain
  communication records
  
• Escalate
  supplier issues when necessary
  

Customer Inquiry Support

• Respond
  to inbound customer inquiries
  
• Assist
  in gathering quotation information
  
• Coordinate
  customer requests
  
• Follow
  up on sales inquiries
  
• Organize
  customer information
  
• Assist
  with lead qualification
  
• Support
  proposal preparation
  

The VA will initially support existing inquiries before
proactively expanding supplier and customer networks.

Sales & Business Development

• Conduct
  market research
  
• Research
  potential customers
  
• Identify
  companies requiring chemical products
  
• Build
  prospect lists
  
• Maintain
  CRM/database
  
• Follow
  up on sales opportunities
  
• Support
  business growth initiatives
  
• Assist
  with regional expansion
  

Documentation & Compliance Support

• Organize
  Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
  
• Maintain
  product documentation
  
• Upload
  compliance documents
  
• Assist
  with Australian regulatory documentation
  
• Organize
  downloadable product resources
  
• Ensure
  accurate record keeping
  

The client plans to build an Australian-compliant library of
Safety Data Sheets that the VA will help organize and distribute to customers.

Administrative Support

• Email
  management
  
• Data
  entry
  
• Documentation
  management
  
• Spreadsheet
  maintenance
  
• Reporting
  
• File
  organization
  
• Process
  documentation
  

Occasional Phone Support

Although approximately 90% of communication is via email,
the VA may occasionally:

• Receive
  inbound calls
  
• Make
  outbound calls
  
• Clarify
  customer requirements
  
• Contact
  suppliers when urgent clarification is needed
  

The client expects phone communication to be infrequent and
primarily for urgent matters.

Future Growth Opportunities

This position is designed as a long-term role with
significant career progression.

Future responsibilities may include:

• Managing
  additional VAs
  
• Leading
  a Philippine support team
  
• Training
  new staff
  
• Managing
  supplier territories
  
• Supporting
  international expansion
  
• Process
  improvement
  
• Business
  operations coordination
  

The client specifically shared his vision of establishing a
satellite office in the Philippines, with the first VA potentially growing into
a Team Leader role.

Required Skills

Technical Skills

• Supplier
  sourcing
  
• Procurement
  support
  
• Internet
  research
  
• Email
  communication
  
• Data
  management
  
• Excel
  / Google Sheets
  
• Database
  management
  
• Documentation
  management
  
• CRM
  experience (preferred)
  
• Microsoft
  Outlook
  
• Business
  writing
  

Preferred Background

Experience in one or more of the following:

• Chemical
  industry
  
• Chemical
  distribution
  
• Supply
  chain
  
• Procurement
  
• Purchasing
  
• Logistics
  
• Industrial
  products
  
• Manufacturing
  
• Business
  Development
  
• B2B
  Sales
  

Chemical industry experience is preferred but not mandatory,
as training will be provided.

Soft Skills

The client specifically highlighted the following qualities:

• Excellent
  written English
  
• Professional
  communication
  
• Strong
  interpersonal skills
  
• Time
  management
  
• Cultural
  awareness
  
• Emotional
  maturity
  
• Resilience
  when dealing with difficult suppliers or customers
  
• Ability
  to represent the company professionally
  
• Strong
  organizational skills
  
• Initiative
  
• Attention
  to detail
  
• Long-term
  mindset
  

Tools

The VA will primarily work with:

• Microsoft
  Outlook
  
• Microsoft
  Office
  
• Excel
  
• Shared
  email accounts
  
• Supplier
  databases
  
• Online
  research platforms
  
• Company
  website
  
• Future
  CRM/database systems
  

Potential future tools:

• Cloud-based
  phone system
  
• CRM
  platform
  
• Shared
  supplier database
  

Working Hours

Part-Time

• Initial
  commitment:
  
• 10
  hours per week
  
• Flexible
  schedule
  
• Daily
  consistency preferred rather than completing all hours in one day
  
• Availability
  for occasional urgent requests
  

The client emphasized that the work should be spread
consistently throughout the week to ensure timely supplier and customer
follow-ups.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal VA is someone who:

• Enjoys
  research
  
• Thinks
  proactively
  
• Can
  build organized systems
  
• Loves
  solving problems
  
• Communicates
  professionally
  
• Wants
  long-term career growth
  
• Is
  comfortable working independently
  
• Wants
  to become part of a growing international business