Purchasing Trainee – Apprenticeship (Alternance)
We are looking for a Purchasing Trainee to join our Catering Systems Division in the French office.
This is a great opportunity if you’re just starting your career and want to gain hands-on experience in international procurement within a technical, project-driven environment. You’ll work closely with an experienced Buyer and support the day-to-day management of suppliers and project-related purchasing activities.
In this role, you’ll get visibility into how large-scale projects are sourced, negotiated, and managed - from early project phases through to delivery.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll support purchasing activities across different product categories and projects. Your work will include:
Working closely with engineering teams and contributing to continuous product improvement by exploring alternative solutions during estimation and project phases
Supporting supplier sourcing, evaluation and mapping in line with internal standards and processes
Assisting with negotiations for smaller project-related purchases
Coordinating and following up on procurement activities across ongoing projects
Preparing and maintaining supplier and pricing databases
Supporting tendering processes, including cost estimation and supplier qualification phases
Participating in the full purchasing process from initial request to supplier selection and contracting
Creating and managing purchase orders in ERP systems and following up on deliveries through to project completion
Supporting cost tracking, invoice verification and budget follow-up
Assisting with supplier claims handling and contributing to supplier performance evaluation
Ensuring relevant contractual information is correctly shared with logistics and other teams
You’ll work closely with colleagues across engineering, logistics, and project teams - so collaboration and communication are a key part of the role.
What you’ll learn
This role is designed to give you a strong foundation in purchasing within a real project environment.
You’ll gain experience in:
Supplier management and sourcing
Project-based procurement processes
Cost control and commercial thinking
Cross-functional collaboration in an international organisation
You’ll be supported throughout your learning - you don’t need to know everything from day one.
What we’re looking for
We’re open to different backgrounds and early career paths. You might be studying or recently graduated in business, logistics, engineering or a related field. What matters most is your mindset and willingness to learn.
We’re especially looking for someone who:
Is organised and able to manage multiple tasks
Communicates clearly and is comfortable asking questions
Takes initiative and follows things through
Pays attention to detail
Enjoys working with others and contributing to shared goals
Is curious and motivated to develop in procurement and commercial work
This role suits someone who enjoys structured, coordination-focused work and wants to build practical experience - rather than a purely routine or fully independent role.
Basics you’ll need
Fluent written and spoken English
Good Excel skills
A relevant educational background or ongoing studies (business, logistics, engineering or similar)
- Department
- Catering Systems, Purchasing & Estimation
- Locations
- France
About ALMACO Group
As a full turnkey provider, we offer newbuilding and modernization of all catering, accommodation and laundry areas, as well as full lifecycle support to owners and shipyards in the marine and offshore industries. We build and serve complete interiors including cabins, superstructures, public spaces, galleys, provision stores, refrigeration machinery and laundry areas.
We take pride in managing large-scale turnkey projects, while making it look easy. Our customers can lean back and leave the hassle to us. ALMACO works with owners and builders around the world and has completed over 360 projects in over 70 project locations. We are experts in design, engineering, project management, procurement and construction. Our full turnkey lifecycle support includes everything from refurbishment, modernization, maintenance and crew training to delivery and installation of spare parts and equipment. We help our customers set up and execute comprehensive lifecycle plans.
ALMACO was founded in 1998 and has offices in Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore and USA.