Description
Plan, direct, and coordinate an organization’s purchasing activities, overseeing buyers and procurement staff to acquire materials, products, and services cost-effectively and in compliance with policy.
- • Maintain accurate records of purchases, receipts, and contracts.
- • Source and evaluate vendors for materials, equipment, and services.
- • Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders.
- • Manage purchasing budgets and track spend against targets.
- • Hire, train, and coach purchasing staff.
- • Review and approve purchase orders and contracts for policy and legal compliance.
- • Analyze markets, pricing, and lead times to ensure material availability.
- • Develop, implement, and enforce purchasing and contract management policies and procedures.
- • Collaborate on specifications for equipment, products, or substitute materials.
- • Resolve supplier disputes, grievances, and performance issues.
- • Negotiate pricing, terms, and service levels; represent the company in supplier negotiations.
- • Review, evaluate, and approve bid specifications and awards.
- • Direct and coordinate personnel involved in purchasing and inventory or distribution.
- • Prepare bid award recommendations for leadership or board approval.
- • Report on market conditions, supplier performance, and merchandise costs.
- • Administer and optimize eProcurement and online purchasing systems.
- • Arrange for disposition of surplus or obsolete materials.
- • Develop and execute cost reduction strategies and savings initiatives.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
