What Do Purchasing Managers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Purchasing Managers

Purchasing Managers 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.

Salary
$132660
Becoming One
Hard
Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth
Low

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Purchasing Managers 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. They also represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.

Other tasks include:

  • Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
  • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
  • Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
  • Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
  • Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
  • Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.

We asked Purchasing Managers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

73%

How meaningful is this job

49%


73% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 49% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Purchasing Managers maintain records of goods ordered and received. They direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.

A typical day for a Purchasing Manager will also include:

  • Administer online purchasing systems.
  • Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.
  • Resolve vendor or contractor grievances, and claims against suppliers.
  • Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
  • Represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.

We asked some Purchasing Managers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 100% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 42% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 83% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 4% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 4% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 54% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Purchasing Managers also represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers. They may also prepare reports regarding market conditions and merchandise costs.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Purchasing Managers Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy. They might also Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.

In addition, they Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Analyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability.

To some Purchasing Managers, it is also their responsibility to Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.


Working life

Working hours

More than 40 hours per week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Purchasing Manager, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Do Purchasing Managers work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
67%


Never
14%


Do Purchasing Managers work outdoors?

Never
67%


Once a year
19%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Entrepreneurs and The Organizers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Purchasing Managers

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Related to Purchasing Managers Job Description

Purchasing Managers job description, what do Purchasing Managers do, typical day for Purchasing Managers, what is it like to work as a Purchasing Manager, how many hours do Purchasing Managers work, day to day work of a Purchasing Manager

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/business-and-financial/purchasing-managers.htm
http://www.american-purchasing.com/
http://www.apics.org/
http://www.nigp.org/


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