A buyer is responsible for buying the items that a team needs and cannot make, while getting the best deal possible for them. Good communication skills are a must for every buyer, but what else does it take to successfully shop for a Formula 1 team?
We spoke to Samantha O’Gorman – a buyer for the Haas F1 Team – to find out.
What is your role
I’m a buyer for the Haas F1 team, but I’m an anomaly in that I make indirect purchases, which means that I work on all things unrelated to the car. This ranges from items for ocean freight, consumables, tire trolleys, contracts and orders for the catering industry to all of our trucks. Whatever, it’s a little bit of everything – I ordered footballs yesterday!
What are your tasks and main tasks?
Manage suppliers and ensure we receive purchases and goods that are needed. There’s a lot of price negotiation going on to make sure we’re managing the company’s budget as well as terms and conditions; It’s really heavily run by supplier management as you need to set up accounts with suppliers.
How do you become a buyer?
This is where I would call myself an anomaly because I came from a small business and worked in both sales and purchasing. It was a decision to go one way or the other so I decided to go for the mall.
Fans are reflected at the rear of a Haas F1 truck
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
What qualifications do you need?
In my opinion, you don’t necessarily need a formal qualification. I think it’s all about who you are and the drive you have. You could have CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) which is a huge advantage in sourcing and purchasing.
What should you learn in school?
Business studies would be helpful.
What other skills are useful?
The ability to negotiate is a powerful skill as you need a little sales page about you. You need to be adaptable and relationship building and be able to see the big picture as you also need to appreciate and understand the position of the supplier. You need to be able to work under pressure and be able to work quickly in certain situations as you need to have the ability to multitask and prioritize when necessary, especially in this industry.
How can I gain work experience?
I think an administrative role would be good to start with, pushing yourself up or being an order handler or order handler because this is where it starts and you can see how the process works and understand pricing and pricing structures. I think you as a buyer need to be in an office setting rather than a retail location as this is more B2B than the end user.
Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-21, in the pit lane
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Can you take part in races?
I don’t travel to races but I will go to the British Grand Prix to meet our catering team and our truck team for setup, mainly to put a face on the name and see the products we buy because that is very important. If you’re trying to bargain for something and you can’t see it in the flesh, it’s hard to do.
What does a working day look like for you?
Ensure processes and orders are received on time and offer offers for products. Plus a lot of cross-departmental management working with the branches to make sure devices are booked and acknowledged. We also handle billing inquiries, so you need to make sure you have an opportunity to dispute bills and investigate if necessary.
This article was produced in collaboration with Motorsport Jobs. Find the latest jobs in motorsport, as well as jobs with the Haas F1 Team, on the Motorsport Jobs website.
The post How to Become a Formula 1 Buyer – Qualifications, Skills & More first appeared on monter-une-startup.
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https://formulaone.news/haas/nikita-mazepin-and-the-worst-paid-drivers-in-f1-history
