Purchasing Manager Job Description Essay

Introduction

Purchasing manager serves a variety of roles and responsibilities within the purchasing department. Most frequently, these responsibilities include:

• developing purchasing strategies;
• monitoring ongoing compliance with purchasing policies and procedures;
• preparing financial documents and reports for the organization;
• coordinating with internal teams regarding their supply needs;
• identifying ideal suppliers based on quality, cost, and reliability.

Apart from all these duties, the primary role of a purchasing manager is to negotiate with suppliers so that the organization can acquire the best quality products at the lowest prices. Representatives of this job have the opportunity to work in the field of the federal government, the manufacturing industry, as well as wholesale and retail trade (Chalmers, 2019). For instance, global companies, such as Walmart, Oracle, Facebook, and Alvarez & Marsal, are constantly looking for experienced purchasing managers.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills

The purchasing manager requires a fundamental understanding of English, mathematics, management, and administration, as well as the ability to increase customer satisfaction levels and meet quality standards. Knowledge in the fields of business, law, and politics is also necessary, as it can help the job applicant to serve their functions without legal violations. Moreover, in order to solve complex issues and convince suppliers on delivering quality low prices goods, the purchasing manager should have well-developed analytical thinking and communication skills. When it comes to technical skills, this individual needs to be able to apply principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of provided services.

Relationship with other Departments

One of the main duties of each purchasing manager is to communicate with various internal teams to share and receive appropriate information. Even though the communication circle of the purchasing manager differs from one company to the other one, there are teams that communicate with this representative on the regular basis. First, the sales department relies on the purchasing manager to make the sales by having the inventory in place. In fact, the procurement manager communicates to the sales department on the lead times, which are essential for the sales department in projecting the reorder periods.

Second, the finance department and the purchasing department depend on each other for various functions. The finance department relies on information from the purchasing manager regarding the status of the purchasing towards the upcoming expenditure. In turn, the purchasing manager also relies on the finance department for details about the available funds before making any purchase (Gartenstein, 2018). Lastly, the production department is connected to the purchasing manager, as they usually ask for the needed parts or raw materials on time.

Work Contexts of Purchasing Manager

In spite of the fact that the daily duties of each purchasing manager depend on the rules and policies established in the specific organization, there are common tasks performed by the majority of individuals who applied for this job. For instance, 100% of purchasing managers are required to respond to electronic mail every day, whereas around 78% of them are involved in face-to-face conversations and discussions during the working day (Chalmers, 2019). In the context of phone communication and coordination with internal teams, approximately three-thirds of respondents perform these tasks regularly. Furthermore, 75% of purchasing managers highlight that the duration of their typical workweek is more than 40 hours (Chalmers, 2019).

Purchasing Manager Market Analysis

As compared to other jobs, the position of purchasing manager is expected to become more perspective and important in the future. For example, 2021 projections show that the job will see a 7 percent growth (Michigan State University, 2021). Although there is increasing use of technology replacing human labor, the procurement job is still irreplaceable by the technology.

Wage and Employment Trends

Sources from Michigan State University (2021) indicate that there is a projected growth of 5% in the employment of purchasing managers from 2020 to 2030. Nowadays, the average annual salary for a purchasing manager is close to $75, 070, although salaries vary according to factors like education levels and experience (Michigan State University, 2021). Simultaneously, the minimal salary starts from $23, 000 per year, whereas the maximum salary can reach over $300, 000 per year. Thus, purchasing a manager can be considered a tremendously important job in the modern sector of business.

Typical Packages

This job position is characterized by tremendously competitive benefits packages. Nowadays, the majority of individuals hired as purchasing managers receive health insurance, dental coverage, and retirement plans as part of their benefits packages. In addition, these individuals can expect life, vision, and disability insurance included in their packages. Finally, over 50% of purchasing managers get tuition reimbursement.

Planning Document

Negotiation: I am planning to apply for the position of purchasing manager in one of the local organizations. My expectation for the salary is $25,000 per year. Taking into consideration that I am interested in the manufacturing industry, I plan to search for a job in this area of business.

Role: The Purchasing Manager

What issues are most important to you? (list in order of importance)

1. Adaptation period with high-quality on-the-job training
2. The reputation of the organization
3. Compensation

What is your BATNA?

BATNA – a job position of buyer or purchasing agent in the same organization. In fact, numerous people work in these job positions to gain appropriate experience before advancing to this management role.

What are your sources of power?

1. My educational background plays an essential role in this case, as it has helped me develop professional skills and learn the information required in this field of business.
2. Proper understanding of principles of logistics, inventory management, and procurement.
3. Deep understanding of procurement software.

What issues are most important to your opponent? (list in order of importance)

1. Educational level
2. Experience
3. Location

What is your opponent’s BATNA?

BATNA – look for other applicants with experience working on the position of purchasing manager.

What are your opponent’s sources of power?

1. There is a vast amount of time to find a qualified candidate.
2. There are numerous applicants who aim to apply for this position.

What is your opening move/the first strategy? Other important information?

My opening move is to demonstrate my professional advantages to the employer and ask for the test that I can pass in order to ensure that I am a great applicant for this position.

Scoring System

References

Bedey, L., Eklund, S., Najafi, N., Wahren, W., & Westerlund, K. (2019). Purchasing management. Web.

Gartenstein, D. (2018). Relationship between purchasing and supply and other business functions. Web.

Michigan State University. (2021). Purchasing manager: Career outlook and salary. Web.