Wool Broker

Related Jobs or Working with these Jobs

Wool buyers collect, assess, value and buy wool sold by wool growers or sheep farmers. Wool Buyers specialize in valuing and purchasing wool sold by wool growers. They possess a skill level of 3 and play a vital role in the wool industry. These professionals are responsible for inspecting, assessing, and buying wool at various locations such as auctions, wool brokers' stores, and farm sheds. They evaluate factors such as colour, yield, micron, and length to determine the value of the wool.

A wool buyer is responsible for assessing the quality of wool samples and managing the purchasing process. Buyers have a deep understanding of the wool industry and are the connection between woolgrowers, brokers and the final customer. Their role is to purchase the quantity and quality of wool specified by their customers for the best price possible. They need to assess and accurately describe many different wool types and understand their customers’ requirements to select types which suit them. Once the wool is assessed the buyer uses this information to generate prices called limits which informs their bidding. The purchase process involves bidding on wool and then combining wool of different quality to meet their customers specifications. Attention to detail is important in reporting purchases to traders and customers and providing accurate selection and price reports.

Buys wool through the auction system or privately, directly from the buyer. Buys lines of wool to meet client requirements for quantity, type and price.

AWI Superfine - The Buyer
https://youtu.be/8NAOh5v2Jv8?si=16XUwqz4N2o14MG9

ANZSCO ID: 639212

Alternative names: Merchant Wool Buyer, Wool Buyer (Merchant)

Specialisations: Wool Valuer - assesses the value of wool on behalf of wool buyers, brokers and domestic and overseas woollen mills.

Duties & Tasks

• Evaluate wool samples by determining colour, yield (amount of actual wool in a sample without water, grease and dirt), micron (thickness) and length

• Weigh samples, write dockets and put the wool in correct stacks and bins

• Write details on a quote sheet and determine the wool price

• Telephone wool growers with confirmation of prices

• Return to farms to collect the bales

• Send invoices to the wool grower and main office (if employed by a company)

• May go to farms to do clean ups (collect odd bits of wool at farmer's sheds)

• May prepare an audit of accounts

• Monitoring sales data and stock levels, and studying trade, manufacturers’ and market information to keep informed of changing market conditions

• Negotiating purchase, promotion and supply arrangements with suppliers

• Designing and implementing pricing, marketing, promotional and display strategies

• Liaising with management on long-term planning and sales promotions

• Establishing working plans according to seasonal and budgetary requirements

• Anticipating consumer trends and determining quantity, style and quality of goods to be purchased

• Inspecting, comparing, selecting and valuing wool by determining colour, yield, micron and length

• Inspecting and buying wool at auction, in wool brokers’ stores and in farm sheds

• Receiving samples from scoured wool exchanges

• May visit freezing works to buy slipe wool
  

​Education and training/entrance requirements

You usually need relevant experience working with wool to work as a Wool Buyer. While formal qualifications aren't essential, a certificate IV in wool classing may be useful.

Skills Assessment authority for Wool Buyer is Vocational & Education Training Assessment (VETASSESS). To achieve a positive skills assessment, the applicant must meet the qualification and employment experience requirements, you must meet the following criteria:

• AQF Certificate IV Qualification in a highly relevant field of study AND at least one year of post-qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years; or

• AQF Certificate IV Qualification that is not a highly relevant field of study AND at least two years post-qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years; or

• AQF Certificate III Qualification in a highly relevant field of study AND at least three years of post-qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years.

• Highly relevant fields of study include Real Estate and Property Management
  
  

Merchant wool buyers may also attend courses to keep up to date with industry trends and information.

Tertiary training in wool and sheep is a good start. Wool classing and shed work give you the background in wool types and wool handling. Wool buying requires some on the job-training in customer wool types. As well as wool knowledge and good communication skills, IT skills and mental arithmetic are important.

The Wool Broker acts on behalf of wool growers, warehousing and auctioning their wool
clip to maximise returns. Wool Brokers are the agents for woolgrowers in selling their wool, and are the auctioneers for their client’s wool.
   
The open cry auction system is the main method by which wool is sold in Australia, with over 85% of the annual Australian wool clip sold through the auction system. Wool brokers are the agents for woolgrowers in selling their wool, and are the auctioneers for their client’s wool. They also provide vital services to the Australian woolgrower, including farm supplies, advice, market information and market intelligence, assistance with forward selling, clip preparation, ram selection and so on.

Wool brokers are the agents for woolgrowers, working on behalf of the woolgrower to sell their wool. Wool brokers advise their clients in the preparation of the wool clip which is transported to the brokers store for testing. The wool is then valued, and the broker advises on marketing the wool for sale, mostly via auction. The broker releases the wool, once sold and paid for by the buyer to complete the transaction.

(Source: Wool Brokers)

ANZSCO ID: 222111

Knowledge, skills and attributes

Wool brokers are keen on business, economics, the global economy, wool and financial markets. Good communication skills are required when working both face-to-face and over the phone.
   
There is an expectation in rural areas of a high level of integrity in business dealings with
customer support and satisfaction being essential.

• Communication skills

• Passion for wool

• Understanding of wool markets
  

(Source: Farm Online)

Duties and Tasks

• Arranges bales into lots for testing. The wool is then placed in the catalogue for
  appraisal by brokers, buyers and the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX)

•  Interlots or bulk classes small lots of wool to create more saleable lots

• Provides woolgrowers with a range of risk management products that may maximise
  returns to the grower

Working conditions

Australia’s wool selling centres are located in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Launceston
and Fremantle.
  
Wool brokers work for the major rural merchant organisations or smaller localised
businesses in rural and regional areas. Work will take place both in and out of the office, at wool selling centres and visiting wool growers.

Extensive travel may be required to visit current and potential new clients.

Work hours are usually structured with some flexibility for travel, weekend and evening
work.

Managers may monitor the work of staff in different locations.
  
Opportunities exist to travel both within Australia and overseas to liaise with and determine
customer requirements.

Education and training/entrance requirements
   
Wool brokers usually have extensive experience in the industry combined with a formal higher education qualification.

• To work as a wool broker you must have appropriate qualifications and undertake
  additional training with the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX).

• Computer skills are a necessity.

• If you are already working at this level, you may have your skills recognised by applying for an appropriate qualification.

• In rural and regional areas wool brokers may need to hold appropriate auctioneer and real estate licences to maintain full-time employment.

• Significant and relevant industry experience is essential for promotion.

 

 

AWI Superfine - The Broker
https://youtu.be/WtabjdeJ3SU

 

 

Related Jobs or Working with these Jobs 

Agricultural Consultant	Auctioneer Stock and Station Agent	Farmer	Financial Broker
Importer & Exporter	Marketing Officer	Pastoralist	Rural Contractor Shearing Contractor
Valuer (Property)	Wool Classer

Material sourced from
VisaEnvoy [Wool Buyer; ]
Wool Wise [Marketing Wool Broker - PDF; ]
Learn about Wool [Wool Buyer; Wool Broker; PDF; ]
Look 4 [Wool Buyer Merchant; ]
Your Career [ Wool Buyer; ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © On the Job Online