Purchasing Manager Responsibilities
The purchasing manager jobs are somewhat different from the purchasing agent. They will check on new technologies and decide where they will get the best savings when it comes to purchasing the items they need for their company. The purchasing agents will have more of a focus on the purchasing of certain groups of items. They may be looking for related merchandise such as:
- Lumber
- Grains
- Cotton
- Steel
- Metals
The difference between wholesale and retail buyers is they purchase items for resale and the purchasing agent buys items for use in their own company to manufacture items. The buyers of farm products buy items for use or for resale. Some of the items they may purchase would include Christmas trees, grain, and tobacco.
There are many aspects of the purchasing. When the purchasing manager chooses the company from which he will buy certain products, he must take into consideration the following:
- Price
- Availability
- Quality
- Reliability
- Support
Purchasing managers are typically responsible for the more complex aspects of purchasing. They may be in charge of a group of purchasing agents. Many types of businesses may employ purchasing specialists. The ones who work for the government are called by many names. They will make sure the materials, machines, supplies, and services that are needed to deliver the final product are purchased. Because certain purchasing managers are responsible for the supply contracts for their company, they may be called supply managers.
Educational Requirements
The requirements for education for purchasing managers will depend upon the company for which they work and the size of this company. The larger stores usually look for those who have a bachelor’s degree involving business. However, many prefer a more formal training and look for an applicant with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering or business. If advancement is part of the agenda for the purchasing manager, a master’s degree is going to be an important step in the advancement of top manager jobs.
Training for these jobs can take anywhere from one to five years. The trainee may start at the bottom rung of the ladder. This enables them to work their way up, learning about the company and all the many duties that are needed to make sure the buying end of the company is run successfully.
Moving up they are given more responsibilities until they are comfortable with the processes and programs used by their company. The experienced purchasing manager will work with the trainee and teach them all the different things they need to learn to become a purchasing manager. This on the job training is one of the ways even those who have degrees can benefit and learn the companies purchasing criteria.
The purchasing managers also need to be efficient when it comes to using word processors and the computer. The knowledge of mathematics and how to analyze data and negotiate successfully are other qualities that are needed. The prospective purchasing manager must have good communication skills and decision making skills. They must be able to use good judgment and have self-confidence. The knack for knowing what will sell and what will not is another attribute that is needed.
Earnings for this Position
Purchasing managers are earning between $60,000 and $105,000 per year and more. The top 10% in this profession earn over $132,000 a year while the lowest 10% earn less than $46,000. The farm products buyers earned a little less with their top earnings around $88,000.
However, the earnings also depended upon the area of the country in which the job was located. Larger organizations paid more than the smaller companies did and the areas where there are more companies had wages that are more competitive.
