A purchasing manager job description requires that an individual is charismatic and able to negotiate contracts and sales prices with all of the vendors that a company uses. They hold a supervisory role and manage the procurement and buying agents of the company. Someone who can consistently get the best quality vendor at a good price will be an invaluable purchasing manager.
This purchasing manager job description goes over in detail the more granular aspects of this job. The first section discusses a broad overview and the specific responsibilities and skills a purchasing manager needs. Next, the required education and working experience are covered. The final aspects described are the working schedule and job outlook.
What Does a Purchasing Manager Do?
Purchasing managers are responsible for planning, coordinating and buying all of the materials that a company, organization, or retailer needs in order to successfully compete in the marketplace. These professionals will negotiate on a daily basis in order to develop an agreeable contract which delivers needed items at a good price. Excellent organization and accountability skills are necessary in order to keep accurate records of the contracts and purchasing history. This is particularly important for the future so that a new purchasing manager is able to review the context and history of vendor relationships.
Previous work experience is a must on a purchasing manager’s resume. There may be different levels of a purchasing manager, and to be eligible for the higher salary, more experience is often needed. The minimum education level is a bachelor’s degree. The median purchasing manager salary is quite high at $111,590.
Purchasing Manager Job Description for Resume – Responsibilities
The following are necessary responsibilities of a purchasing manager. To create a relevant and convincing resume, these responsibilities should be customized for your specific experience.
- Manages the buying team and delegates contracts among the staff.
- Participate in hiring activities for the purchasing employees and list necessary criteria for human resources to screen candidates.
- Initiate business relationships and build a rapport with vendors.
- Conduct site visits with various vendors.
- Travel to trade shows or conferences in order to talk with many of the same types of vendors at the same time.
- Work with the legal team in order to craft contracts with various vendors.
- Create a workflow for the return process in the case of defective or inferior goods.
This list is adapted from a list at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Purchasing Manager Essential Skills
- Cultural expertise. Purchasing managers need to be immersed in several different cultures and they need to be able to seamlessly blend varied experiences in order to bridge the communication gap between departments and vendors.
- Professional development skills. Procurement is a constantly changing and expanding industry. It is in the process of growing and, thus, rapid understanding about the field occurs. This means that a good purchasing manager believes in lifelong learning and investing in their development.
- Negotiation skills. Purchasing managers need to be able to negotiate with vendors in a variety of situations. Having a level of confidence without being condescending or arrogant allows the purchasing manager to be a natural leader and influencer. People who can influence have an understanding for people, but are also able to exude their beliefs on what should be done in particular situations.
- Flexibility skills. The daily tasks and working location of a purchasing manager can vary significantly. In addition, the overall trajectory of the job is changing. Purchasing managers who are flexible on their schedule, work environment, and daily tasks will excel.
A conversation with Tom Birrane conducted by Uniting Ambition is the basis for this list.
How to Become a Purchasing Manager
A purchasing manager job description calls for both a bachelor’s degree and prior levels of experience. About 5 years of prior experience are necessary in order to be eligible for this role. There are a lot of different certificates and professional organizations for purchasing managers. These are not uniformly required, but many employers require some level of certification.
Education & Training Requirements
A bachelor’s degree is needed for most purchasing manager positions. Typical bachelor’s degree programs looked for are engineering, business, supply chain management, or logistics. Some of the upper-level management jobs will require a master’s degree in business or economics.
There are several different certificates for a purchasing manager to pursue. Professional organizations such as the Institute for Supply Management, the American Purchasing Society, or the Next Level Purchasing Association offer these certificates. These all require a different level of experience and education in order to pursue certification.
The American Purchasing Society has five different certification programs. These are the Certified Purchasing Professional, the Certified Professional Purchasing Manager, the Certified Green Purchasing Professional, the Certified Professional in Distribution and Warehousing, and the Certified Professional Purchasing Consultant. Some employers will pay for the training in order to obtain a certificate.
Due to the high number of professional organizations, an individual interested in this field needs to evaluate all of the different certificates and identify ones most valued in the field and frequently required by employers.
Work Experience
A purchasing manager needs to have prior work experience in the field. A typical purchasing manager qualification is to have more than five years of experience as a purchasing or buying agent. In addition, evidence of leadership or management ability is helpful for employers to have.
To gain experience in school, a student can seek an internship in the purchasing or sales department of a business. In addition, they can join clubs that help to develop negotiating and interpersonal skills. Being an effective purchasing manager is as much an awareness of trends in the field as it is building trust and seeking good deals.
Buying agents can express interest to their employers that they would like to eventually take a leadership role as a purchasing manager. Seeking the guidance of a mentor who is a purchasing manager can lead to an apprenticeship relationship in which valuable experiences and knowledge are shared.
Work Schedules
Most purchasing manager responsibilities include working full-time. Their normal work environment is an office setting. However, travel is expected and they may need to visit the sites of prospective vendors. In addition, purchasing managers need to regularly attend trade shows and conferences.
It is normal for there to not be a typical day for purchasing managers. The actual meetings will vary based on what industry the manager works in. The day-to-day tasks involve checking email, attending meetings, holding conversations with other managers in order to have a cohesive business strategy and checking the receiving of various products.
Career Prospects
The job growth for purchasing managers is expected to be equivalent to the current growth. The most popular industries for employment are manufacturing, management, and wholesale trade. They will be needed to make sure that purchasing decisions are strategic and iterative.
The median wage for purchasing managers is $111,590. The highest paying industries are oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, data processing, wired telecommunication carriers, and securities and commodities exchange. The following states have the highest employment for purchasing managers: California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts.
Conclusion
Purchasing managers typically work full-time and have a varied job experience. They get to build relationships and talk to several different vendors. If you enjoy negotiating and finding the balance between the best deal and the highest quality product, then this could be a good field. Most employers require a major in business or a related field. Another job that requires brains and balance is that of a general manager.