Every order you place without comparing a quote, every price increase nobody noticed and every rush shipment after a stockout costs margin. A procurement virtual assistant (also called a purchasing VA, purchasing assistant VA or sourcing VA) does the buying work that protects it: supplier sourcing, RFQs and quote comparison, purchase orders, supplier follow-up, price tracking and clean purchasing records.
This guide covers what a procurement VA does (and what stays with you), how it differs from an inventory or vendor management VA, how to compare quotes, what the role costs and how to hire one.
Quick Answer
A procurement virtual assistant is a remote purchasing professional who sources and shortlists suppliers, sends RFQs and compares quotes, prepares purchase orders, follows up on orders and deliveries, tracks prices and keeps your purchasing records, while you keep the approval of suppliers, spend and terms. Through VA MASTERS, a procurement VA costs $6.50–$10/hr, about $1,040–$1,600 a month full-time; a senior procurement / supply-chain operations VA costs $8.50–$14/hr. It costs nothing to start, and the first candidates usually reach you within about 2 business days of agreeing the role.
What Is a Procurement Virtual Assistant?
A procurement virtual assistant is a remote team member who runs the buying side of your operation: finding and vetting suppliers, requesting and comparing quotes, preparing and tracking purchase orders, coordinating with suppliers on pricing, availability and delivery dates, and keeping the records that show what you bought, from whom and at what price.
The role sits between two neighbours. An inventory and supply chain VA looks after stock: counts, reorder points, inbound shipments and warehouse or 3PL coordination. A vendor management VA looks after suppliers after the purchase: onboarding documents, invoice matching, performance tracking and renewals. A procurement VA owns the step in between: turning a need into a compared, approved and delivered order. In smaller businesses one person often covers two of the three, and the job description can say so.
One thing to be clear about: a procurement VA supports your purchasing decisions rather than replacing your authority over them. They do the sourcing, comparison, coordination and administration and prepare recommendations; you keep final approval on suppliers, spend and terms, inside rules you set once.
What Does a Procurement VA Do?
These are the purchasing tasks clients hand off most often, and what a finished result looks like:
| Purchasing task | What your procurement VA does | What you get back |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier sourcing | Finds and shortlists suppliers for a new item or a re-sourcing, checks company details, product range, minimum order quantities and lead times | A supplier shortlist with contact details, terms and open questions |
| RFQs and quote comparison | Sends requests for quotation with your specification, chases replies and puts every quote into one comparison sheet | A side-by-side comparison: unit price, MOQ, shipping, payment terms, lead time and total landed cost |
| Purchase orders | Prepares purchase orders from approved quotes in your system, sends them once you approve, and files the confirmations | POs raised on time, within the approval limits you set |
| Supplier follow-up | Confirms order acknowledgements, production dates and shipping dates; chases anything late | Fewer surprises: you hear about a delay before it reaches your customers |
| Price and cost tracking | Records every price change, flags increases against the last order and re-quotes items that drift | A price history per item and supplier, with the savings found |
| Reorder coordination | Watches reorder points with your inventory system or sheet and raises the next order ahead of need | Orders placed before stock runs out, not after |
| Delivery and discrepancy tracking | Tracks shipments to delivery, matches what arrived against the PO and raises short, damaged or wrong deliveries with the supplier | Clean records for every order and a claim raised while it can still be fixed |
| Purchasing records and reporting | Keeps supplier files, quotes, POs and invoices in order and reports on spend, savings and open orders | A monthly purchasing report you can read in five minutes |
The difference between an order taker and a good procurement VA is the proactive part: noticing that a supplier’s price crept up 6% since the last order, re-quoting it, and raising the reorder a week before you would have run short. Across a year of orders that is where the role pays for itself.
Pro Tip
Ask your procurement VA to keep a living supplier comparison sheet for your top 20 items, refreshed every quarter with current quotes. Having a second option visible for every key item keeps your current suppliers sharp on price and means you are never stuck when one of them fails.
Types of Sourcing a Procurement VA Handles
- New supplier sourcing. Researching and shortlisting suppliers for a new product or material, requesting samples and quotes, and building the comparison so you choose from real options.
- Competitive re-sourcing. Re-checking existing suppliers against the market on a schedule. Prices drift and better options appear; a VA who checks keeps your suppliers honest.
- Recurring reordering. Managing the items you buy regularly: reorder points, order timing and purchase orders placed ahead of need.
- Overseas and factory sourcing. Finding and coordinating with manufacturers abroad, often on Alibaba, 1688 or Global Sources, and working with your freight forwarder and customs broker on the paperwork.
- Spot and rush buying. Urgent one-off purchases, found quickly at the best available price and terms, with the lesson written into the reorder rules so it happens less often.
Procurement VA, Inventory VA or Vendor Management VA: Which Do You Need?
Job posts use the names loosely, so it helps to decide by the work and by what stays with you:
| Role | Typical work | What stays with you | Rate (VA MASTERS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement / purchasing coordinator VA | Sourcing, RFQs, quote comparison, purchase orders, supplier follow-up, price tracking, records | Approval of suppliers and spend, contract terms, payments | $6.50–$10/hr (E-commerce Management) |
| Inventory / supply chain VA | Stock counts and reconciliations, reorder points, inbound shipments, warehouse or 3PL coordination | Stock write-offs, safety-stock policy | $6.50–$10/hr |
| Vendor management VA | Supplier onboarding and documents, invoice matching, performance tracking, renewals | Contract decisions, supplier exits | $6.50–$10/hr |
| Senior procurement / supply-chain operations VA | Owns the purchasing process end to end for several categories or suppliers, builds the reporting, supports negotiations within your rules | Final sign-off on suppliers, spend and terms | $8.50–$14/hr |
Most roles are hybrids. In VA MASTERS’ analysis of 323 VA roles opened between February and August 2026, only 26% covered a single type of work (see the report); a purchasing role often comes with inventory checks or general admin attached. Write the mix into the job description rather than hiring for a title.
What a Procurement VA Does and Doesn’t Decide
Procurement works when the approval lines are clear. A simple split avoids most problems:
| Topic | Your procurement VA can | Stays with you |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier choice | Source, compare and recommend suppliers with the evidence laid out | Approving a new supplier and the spend limit per order |
| Negotiation | Collect competitive quotes, ask for better terms and relay your position within the rules you set | The final price, contract terms and anything outside those rules |
| Purchase orders | Prepare POs and send them once approved, or within a pre-approved limit for recurring items | The approval limits, and any order above them |
| Payments | Match invoices to POs and deliveries and flag discrepancies | Releasing payments and bank or card details |
| Imports | Coordinate with overseas suppliers, freight forwarders and your customs broker, collect documents | Import compliance, duties and the customs broker relationship |
| Receiving | Match delivery notes and photos against the PO and chase shortages | Physical receiving, inspection and counting on site |
Write Down the Approval Rules
Approval rules to write down before day one
- Approved suppliers: which suppliers the VA may order from without asking, and who approves a new one
- Order limits: the amount per order and per month the VA may place for recurring items; everything above it comes to you
- Price changes: any increase above an agreed percentage is flagged, not accepted
- Payments: the VA matches invoices to POs and deliveries; releasing money stays with you or your bookkeeper
- Escalation: what counts as urgent (a stockout risk, a missed shipping date) and how fast you want to hear about it
- Records: where quotes, POs, confirmations and invoices are filed, and in what format
How to Compare Supplier Quotes (Template)
Most buying mistakes come from comparing unit prices instead of total landed cost. Give your VA one comparison sheet and ask for every RFQ to come back in it:
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Supplier, contact, date of quote | Quotes expire; you need to know how old each one is |
| Unit price and currency | Compare like with like, in one currency |
| Minimum order quantity (MOQ) | A low unit price with a high MOQ can cost more in cash and storage |
| Lead time and production time | The lowest quote is no use if it arrives after your stockout |
| Shipping terms and cost | EXW, FOB or delivered: the difference is often the margin |
| Payment terms | Share paid upfront, balance due, net 30: cash flow matters as much as price |
| Total landed cost per unit | Unit price + shipping + duties + fees, divided by units: the only number worth comparing |
| Notes and risks | Samples, certifications, past delivery performance |
Ask for at least three quotes on anything new or anything you buy in volume, and for one re-quote a year on your recurring items. Estimates (shipping, duties) are labelled as estimates, and every quote carries its date and source.
See Procurement and Operations VAs at Work
Racquel, a construction procurement VA with 9 years of experience, explains how she handles vendor sourcing and negotiations, supplier follow-ups, delivery tracking and scheduling and issue resolution, including the day she used an existing vendor list to get goods delivered the next morning when no truckers were available for a same-day delivery.
Our recruitment manager walks through the 6-stage recruitment process, from understanding your needs to custom skills tests and presenting only the top 2–3 candidates.
Metrics a Procurement VA Improves
Procurement is one of the few back-office roles that can show its own return. Ask your VA to track these from month one:
| Metric | What your procurement VA does with it |
|---|---|
| Savings found | Records every re-quote and price challenge with the old price, the new price and the volume, so you see what the role pays back |
| Purchase order cycle time | Tracks how long a need takes to become a placed order; a VA who runs the RFQ and PO steps keeps this short |
| Stockouts and rush orders | Counts stockouts and expedited shipments per month; the reorder review exists to push both toward zero |
| On-time delivery rate | Logs promised vs actual delivery dates per supplier, which is the evidence you need when a supplier underperforms |
| Spend by supplier and category | Keeps a clean record of what you buy, from whom and at what price, so your purchasing stops being a blind spot |
A Day in the Life of a Procurement VA
A typical full-time day, in your hours (we recruit for the schedule you need):
- Start of day: open-order list reviewed: what is confirmed, what ships today, what is late and needs chasing; reorder check against stock levels.
- Mid-morning: RFQs sent for items up for purchase; replies logged in the comparison sheet; samples and certifications requested where needed.
- Midday: purchase orders prepared for approved buys and sent within the limits you set; confirmations filed.
- Afternoon: supplier replies and delivery updates handled; discrepancies (short, damaged or wrong deliveries) raised with the supplier while they can still be fixed.
- End of day: records updated; a short note to you with anything that needs a decision: a price increase, a new supplier to approve, a stockout risk.
7 Signs You Need a Procurement VA
- You order from the same suppliers without comparing a quote in over a year.
- Price increases show up on invoices, not before you order.
- You pay for expedited shipping more than once a quarter because something ran out.
- Supplier emails and follow-ups eat an hour or more of your day.
- Nobody can say, without digging, which orders are open and which are late.
- Quotes, POs and invoices live in several inboxes and folders.
- You are adding products, locations or suppliers and buying is getting too complex to run on the side.
If three or more of these ring true, the savings found and the rush orders avoided usually cover the cost of the role.
Industries That Benefit Most From a Procurement VA
- E-commerce and DTC brands sourcing products and packaging, often from overseas manufacturers. See our e-commerce operations VAs.
- Amazon and marketplace sellers managing suppliers, samples and reorders across many SKUs. See our Amazon virtual assistant page.
- Retail and wholesale with recurring buying across many suppliers, where price tracking and reorder discipline protect margin.
- Manufacturing and workshops sourcing materials and components at the right price and lead time.
- Construction and trades coordinating material orders, deliveries and supplier follow-up per project. See our construction admin VAs.
- Hospitality and food service with weekly supply orders where consistency matters more than any single price.
- Operations teams where purchasing is part of a wider role. See our virtual operations manager page and our logistics VAs for freight and shipment coordination.
Not Sure Which Purchasing Work to Hand Off First?
Tell us what you buy, how often and from where, and we’ll help you scope the role, half-time or full-time.
Tools a Procurement VA Uses
There is no standard purchasing toolkit: your VA should work in the systems your business already uses. In VA MASTERS’ review of 322 VA job requirements (February to August 2026), a quarter named no software at all (see the software report). Typical examples:
| Purchasing area | Common tools (examples) |
|---|---|
| Purchase orders and purchasing records | QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Odoo, Zoho Inventory, Cin7; or purchasing tools such as Procurify, Coupa or SAP Ariba in larger companies |
| Inventory and reorder points | Your inventory system or a Google Sheets / Excel reorder sheet; Shopify, Amazon Seller Central for sellers |
| Quote comparison | Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable |
| Supplier sourcing | Alibaba, 1688, Global Sources, ThomasNet, Faire, industry directories, trade-show lists |
| Supplier communication | Email, WhatsApp, WeChat for many Asian suppliers, supplier portals, video calls |
| Documents | Google Drive or SharePoint for quotes, POs, confirmations and invoices; e-signature tools |
Name your systems in the job description so we can screen for them, and test them if needed. We recruit for the tools you use: we look for candidates who have worked in them and ask about it in screening. Give the VA their own login with limited permissions rather than a shared one.
How Much Does a Procurement Virtual Assistant Cost?
Through VA MASTERS, a procurement or purchasing coordinator VA costs $6.50–$10/hr: about $520–$800 a month half-time (80 hours) or $1,040–$1,600 a month full-time (160 hours). A senior procurement / supply-chain operations VA, who owns the purchasing process end to end and builds the reporting, costs $8.50–$14/hr. Where a candidate lands in the range depends on experience, the number of suppliers and SKUs, the systems involved and whether the role includes overseas sourcing or negotiation support.
| Procurement role | Rate category | Hourly | Half-time (80 h/month) | Full-time (160 h/month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement / purchasing coordinator VA: sourcing, RFQs, POs, supplier follow-up, price tracking, records | E-commerce Management | $6.50–$10 | $520–$800 | $1,040–$1,600 |
| Senior procurement / supply-chain operations VA: owns the purchasing process end to end, builds the reporting | Senior operations tier | $8.50–$14 | $680–$1,120 | $1,360–$2,240 |
How that compares with hiring locally:
| Option | Typical cost | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing assistant (US, in-house) | $21.93/hr average | Indeed, 1.4k salaries from job postings in the past 36 months, updated October 28, 2026; before benefits and overhead |
| Buyers and purchasing agents (US, in-house) | $77,710/year median (about $37.36/hr at 2,080 hours) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025 median; a more senior role than most procurement VA work |
| VA MASTERS procurement VA, half-time (80 h/month) | $520–$800/month ($6.50–$10/hr) | E-commerce Management rates; no upfront fees, no setup fees |
| VA MASTERS procurement VA, full-time (160 h/month) | $1,040–$1,600/month ($6.50–$10/hr) | E-commerce Management rates |
| VA MASTERS senior procurement / supply-chain operations VA, full-time | $1,360–$2,240/month ($8.50–$14/hr) | Senior operations tier |
Per hour, a procurement VA costs $6.50–$10 against the $21.93 Indeed average for a US purchasing assistant, and the senior tier costs $8.50–$14 against the BLS median for buyers and purchasing agents ($77,710 a year, May 2025), on pay alone and before benefits and overhead on the in-house side. Across roles, clients save up to 80% compared with local hiring once benefits and overhead are counted. Two honest notes: a local purchasing assistant can also do physical receiving and inspection, which a remote VA cannot; and if you only need a few hours of purchasing a month, an hourly freelancer can cost less in total than a half-time VA. Lighter setups of about 40 hours a month are possible with us too: see our pricing page and our guide on how much a virtual assistant costs.
Procurement VA vs In-House Purchasing Assistant
- Cost: $1,040–$1,600 a month full-time with VA MASTERS, against an Indeed average of $21.93/hr (about $3,500 a month at 160 hours) for a US purchasing assistant before benefits, equipment and office space.
- Time to hire: first candidates in about 2 business days once the role is agreed, with a custom skills test if needed.
- After the hire: we handle contracting, payments and time tracking, and your account manager stays in touch after placement. If you’re not satisfied with your VA, you get a replacement free of charge.
- What a local hire does better: physical receiving, inspection and counting on site, and walking into the warehouse to check a problem. Keep those tasks local and give the VA everything that happens on a screen.
How We Recruit Your Procurement VA
Every search runs through our 6-stage process. It is selective: about 1 in 508 applicants is placed (166,350 applications, January 2025 to July 2026; see the statistics report). The skills test carries weight: in our analysis of 16,308 rejection decisions (January 2025 to September 2026), 35.9% of rejections came from a failed skills test (see the report).
Detailed Job Posting
We write a job description for your exact role: what you buy, from where, the systems you use, the approval rules and the hours you need.
Candidate Collection
Every search is custom-built for the role, powered by our database of 400,000+ pre-assessed Filipino applicants, with priority for purchasing, supply chain and operations experience.
Initial Screening
Experience, written and spoken English, tool familiarity and internet reliability are checked, with AI-assisted screening and human recruiters.
Custom Skills Test
Where the role needs it, candidates complete a real purchasing task: for example comparing three supplier quotes on landed cost or drafting a supplier follow-up on a late order.
In-Depth Interview
Our recruiters assess how candidates work with numbers, write to suppliers and handle a delay or a discrepancy.
Client Interview
You meet the top 2–3 candidates (the first of them typically about 2 business days after the role is agreed) and choose who joins your team.
Skills and Traits to Look For
- Comfort with numbers and units: landed cost per unit, MOQ maths, currency conversions, without mistakes.
- Clear written English with suppliers: specifications, RFQs and follow-ups that get answered.
- Persistence: chases quotes, confirmations and shipping dates until they are in hand.
- Discipline with rules: works inside approval limits and escalates instead of guessing.
- Systems fluency: comfortable in your accounting or purchasing system and in spreadsheets.
- Supply chain or purchasing experience: has seen a late shipment, a short delivery and a price dispute before.
Procurement Virtual Assistant Job Description Template
Procurement virtual assistant job description template
- Role: Procurement / Purchasing Virtual Assistant, half-time (80 hours a month) or full-time
- Schedule: your hours, set on the discovery call; say if you need overlap with suppliers in a particular region
- Responsibilities: supplier sourcing and shortlists, RFQs and quote comparison, purchase orders in [your system], supplier follow-up and delivery tracking, price tracking, reorder coordination with the inventory system, purchasing records and a monthly report
- Tools: [your accounting or purchasing system], Google Sheets or Excel, email and the supplier channels you use (portals, WhatsApp, WeChat)
- Must-haves: purchasing or supply chain experience, clear written English with suppliers, careful with numbers and units, follows approval rules, chases without being asked
- How success is measured: orders placed on time within approval limits, quotes compared on landed cost, delivery dates tracked, savings recorded, no stockouts caused by late ordering
Skills-Test Ideas for Procurement Candidates
- Compare three supplier quotes for one product on total landed cost (unit price, MOQ, shipping, payment terms) and recommend one, with the reasoning.
- Write a follow-up to a supplier whose order is a week late, asking for a new ship date and a reason.
- Build a reorder sheet for ten items from stock levels, lead times and monthly usage, and say which three to order this week.
- Spot the discrepancies between a purchase order, a delivery note and an invoice.
The First 30 Days With a Procurement VA
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Own logins for your purchasing system, email and supplier portals before day one; the VA reads your supplier list, open POs and approval rules; first task: bring the open-order list up to date |
| Week 2 | First RFQ cycle on one item you buy regularly, with the comparison sheet in your format; you review the quotes and the sheet together |
| Week 3 | Recurring work starts: weekly open-order and delivery check, reorder review against your stock levels, supplier follow-ups |
| Week 4 | Agree the standing rules (approval limits, which suppliers are approved, how to escalate) and write them into an SOP; first monthly purchasing report |
Your Suppliers, Data and Access
- Give the VA their own logins (never shared passwords) with limited permissions in your purchasing or accounting system, and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Keep payment release, bank and card details and supplier contracts with you or your bookkeeper; the VA prepares and matches, you pay.
- Store quotes, POs and supplier files in your own Google Drive, SharePoint or system, so the purchasing history stays with your business.
- Every VA is required to sign written confidentiality undertakings, and if you have your own NDA, we require your VA to sign it. See our security page for details.
Common Hiring Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Hiring an Order Taker
The value is in sourcing, comparison and follow-up, not in typing up purchase orders. Hire for numbers, persistence and judgment, and test for them.
Mistake #2: No Approval Rules
Without written limits the VA either asks about everything or decides too much. Define approved suppliers, order limits and escalation before day one.
Mistake #3: Comparing Unit Prices
A lower unit price with a higher MOQ, longer lead time or worse payment terms can cost more. Insist on total landed cost in every comparison.
Mistake #4: Withholding System Access
A procurement VA without access to your purchasing system, stock levels and supplier history cannot catch price creep or reorder in time. Set up limited-permission logins early.
Mistake #5: Hiring for Purchasing When the Problem Is Stock
If the real gap is counts, reorder points and warehouse coordination, hire an inventory VA or say the role covers both. Our guide on how to outsource inventory management covers that side.
Mistake #6: Skipping the Monthly Report
Savings found, stockouts, rush orders and on-time delivery per supplier are what tell you the role is working. Ask for the report from month one.
Real Messages from Real Clients
Hear From Our VAs
Indeed Reviews — Happy VAs mean careful, consistent purchasing. Read VA reviews on Indeed · Glassdoor: average 5/5
Working as a VA yourself? See our open positions. For related admin support, see our administrative VAs and data entry VAs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a procurement virtual assistant?
A procurement virtual assistant is a remote purchasing professional who runs the buying process for your business: sourcing and shortlisting suppliers, sending RFQs and comparing quotes, preparing purchase orders, following up on orders and deliveries, tracking prices and keeping purchasing records. You keep the approval of suppliers, spend and terms; the VA does the work that gets you there.
What does a procurement VA do day to day?
A typical day covers the open-order list (what is confirmed, what is late, what needs chasing), reorder checks against your stock levels, RFQs and quote comparisons for items up for purchase, purchase orders for approved buys, supplier replies and delivery updates, and the purchasing records. Once a month the VA sends a short report on spend, savings found and supplier delivery performance.
How much does a procurement virtual assistant cost?
Through VA MASTERS, a procurement or purchasing coordinator VA costs $6.50–$10/hr (E-commerce Management rates): about $520–$800 a month half-time (80 hours) or $1,040–$1,600 full-time (160 hours). A senior procurement / supply-chain operations VA who owns the purchasing process end to end costs $8.50–$14/hr. For comparison, Indeed lists an average of $21.93/hr for an in-house purchasing assistant in the US (October 2026), before benefits and overhead. It costs nothing to start.
What is the difference between a procurement VA and a purchasing assistant VA?
In practice they are the same role, and job posts use both names, along with “purchasing agent VA” and “sourcing VA”. Procurement is the whole process from finding a supplier to the delivery and the records; purchasing is the ordering part of it. At VA MASTERS both are priced as a purchasing coordinator role at $6.50–$10/hr; a role that owns the full process across several categories is the senior tier at $8.50–$14/hr.
Can a virtual assistant do product sourcing?
Yes. Product and supplier sourcing is one of the most common procurement VA tasks: finding manufacturers and wholesalers on Alibaba, 1688, Global Sources, ThomasNet or industry directories, checking minimum order quantities, lead times and certifications, requesting samples and quotes, and putting everything in a comparison sheet. You choose the supplier and approve the order.
Can a procurement VA negotiate with suppliers?
Within the rules you set, yes: collecting competitive quotes, asking for better prices or terms, challenging price increases and relaying your position. The final price, the contract terms and anything outside those rules stay with you. Many clients let the VA run the first round and step in only for the final terms on larger buys.
Can a procurement VA handle overseas suppliers and imports?
Yes, for the coordination: communicating with suppliers in Asia or Europe, chasing production and shipping dates, collecting documents and liaising with your freight forwarder and customs broker. We recruit for your hours, so if you need overlap with a supplier’s time zone, say so in the job description. Import compliance, duties and the customs broker relationship stay with you or a licensed broker.
Which procurement systems should a procurement VA know?
The ones you use. In VA MASTERS’ analysis of 322 VA roles opened between February and August 2026, a quarter named no software at all (see the software report). Common examples are QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Odoo, Zoho Inventory and Cin7 for POs and records, Google Sheets or Excel for quote comparison, and Alibaba or supplier portals for sourcing. Name your systems in the job description so we can screen for them.
What should stay with me, not the procurement VA?
Approving new suppliers, the spend limit per order, contract terms, releasing payments and your bank or card details, import compliance and physical receiving on site. Write these rules down before day one: a procurement VA works best with clear approval limits, a list of approved suppliers and a rule for escalating stockout risks and late shipments.
Procurement VA, inventory VA or vendor management VA: which do I need?
If the gap is buying (sourcing, quotes, purchase orders, supplier follow-up), you need a procurement VA. If it is stock (counts, reorder points, inbound shipments, warehouse or 3PL coordination), see our inventory and supply chain VAs. If it is supplier administration after the purchase (onboarding documents, invoice matching, performance tracking, renewals), see our vendor management VAs. Smaller businesses often combine two of these in one role; the job description can say so.
Can I hire a part-time purchasing assistant?
Yes. Many purchasing roles start half-time (80 hours a month), which is our recommended minimum, and lighter setups of about 40 hours a month are possible: see our pricing page. A half-time procurement VA can also take on related inventory or admin work between purchasing cycles.
How quickly can I hire a procurement VA?
Once your role is agreed on the discovery call, first candidates typically arrive in about 2 business days. You interview the top 2–3 and choose. Plan on a few weeks for the VA to learn your suppliers, systems and approval rules.
Are there any upfront fees?
No. There are no upfront fees, no setup fees and no recruitment fees: it costs nothing to start. You sign the agreement and we run the search at no cost.
What if the VA isn’t the right fit?
If you’re not satisfied with your VA, you get a replacement, free of charge. Your account manager stays in touch after placement and checks in regularly.
Are you hiring VAs to handle post-purchase requests?
That question comes from VAs rather than clients: post-purchase requests (order status, returns, replacements) are customer-service work. If you are a VA, every open role, including customer service and procurement roles, is on our careers page, and applications go only through the position you apply for.
Ready to Get Purchasing Off Your Desk?
A procurement VA from VA MASTERS runs the sourcing, quotes, purchase orders and supplier follow-up, so every order is compared and nothing runs out.
- It costs nothing to start: no upfront fees, no setup fees
- First candidates in about 2 business days once the role is agreed
- Custom skills test for purchasing work, if needed
- Ongoing account management and a free replacement guarantee
Anne is the Operations Manager at VA MASTERS, a recruitment agency specializing in Filipino virtual assistants for global businesses. She leads the end-to-end recruitment process — from custom job briefs and skills testing to candidate delivery and ongoing VA management — and has personally overseen the placement of 1,000+ virtual assistants across industries including e-commerce, real estate, healthcare, fintech, digital marketing, and legal services.
With deep expertise in Philippine work culture, remote team integration, and business process optimization, Anne helps clients achieve up to 80% cost savings compared to local hiring while maintaining top-tier quality and performance.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +13127660301
