Purchasing Managers
Materials Manager, Procurement Director, Procurement Manager, Purchasing Director
What they do:
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.
On the job, you would:
- Represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.
- Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
Knowledge
Business
- management
- accounting and economics
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Math and Science
- arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Engineering and Technology
- computers and electronics
Skills
Basic Skills
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
- talking to others
Social
- understanding people's reactions
- bringing people together to solve differences
Resource Management
- managing your time and the time of other people
- selecting and managing the best workers for a job
Abilities
Verbal
- listen and understand what people say
- communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
- come up with lots of ideas
- create new and original ideas
Math
- choose the right type of math to solve a problem
- add, subtract, multiply, or divide
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Leadership
- Analytical Thinking
- Dependability
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Microsoft Dynamics
- SAP software
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Procurement software
- Ariba Spend Management Suite
- PurchasingNet eProcurement
Education
Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree
usually needed
usually needed
Job Outlook
Average
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about purchasing managers.