The Director of Purchasing is in charge of maintaining good performance in various levels of activities. First, he/she is saddled with the responsibility of negotiating prices and checking for good quality materials or products. Also, the type of products that will be used for production is determined by the director. Plus, he/she makes findings of where to get the desired product. After this, he/she draws the budget cost, which often includes transportation, staffing, and prices of products. Not just this, but he/she also builds trusting relationships with different vendors to get good prices and great quality.

To be a purchasing director, some essential skills and educational levels are required. For the skills, a purchasing director should be able to lead a team successfully. He/She should also possess problem-solving skills should in case they face any challenges during their job. Besides these, it might be expected of him to understand some accounting principles in Microsoft Word and Excel. Directors of Purchasing make $103,449 annually.

What Does a Director Of Purchasing Do

There are certain skills that many directors of purchasing have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, decisionmaking skills and math skills.

Learn more about what a Director Of Purchasing does

How To Become a Director Of Purchasing

If you're interested in becoming a director of purchasing, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 67.9% of directors of purchasing have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.2% of directors of purchasing have master's degrees. Even though most directors of purchasing have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Director Of Purchasing

Director Of Purchasing Career Paths

Average Salary for a Director Of Purchasing

Directors Of Purchasing in America make an average salary of $106,945 per year or $51 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $166,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $68,000 per year.
Average Director Of Purchasing Salary
$106,945 Yearly
$51.42 hourly

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Roles and Types of Director Of Purchasing

The role of a director of purchasing includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general director of purchasing responsibilities:

  • This corporate leadership position will be responsible forstrategic
  • Create standard contract terms and conditions that apply to all trades as well as to those that are trade-specific. Manage the selection of trade partners into the business unit’s labor pool. Execute business unit contracts with trade partners. Coordinate company-wide initiatives that affect business unit purchasing groups (may serve as a member of the national contacts award committee). Manage the community-specific trade partner selection process. Responsible for ensuring that purchasing processes yield the most competitive home construction costs. Coordinate trade partner
  • Work with regional leaders to ensure purchasing strategies, revenue

There are several types of director of purchasing, including:

Director

Role:

Directors report to board members regarding what's going on with the company as a whole. Then together, they work to develop new marketing and business strategies to help the company grow and expand.

Typically, directors have the ultimate, hands-down decision making capability, which is a lot of responsibility for one person, especially considering the type of decisions you'll be making. Any top-level decisions will come to you. You may also be responsible for approving a final budget and making sure company policies are being followed.

Some directors have long work hours, it depends on your employer and industry. Some directors will work longer than the typical 40-hour work week and many have erratic schedules that are determined by meetings, which are usually held after normal business hours.

  • Average Salary: $113,489
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Purchasing Manager

Role:

Ever wonder why do some stores do not have the items you're looking for? Or why others have so much stock of a product which you regularly see in commercials and advertisements? Maybe it's never crossed your mind before - until now. Why is it, really? Well, for one, you could look for a purchasing manager to end your confusion. Surely, it would be their pleasure to help you - it's their job, after all.

A purchasing manager is a senior-level position, requiring them to have extensive experience under their belts. They need to be able to handle business decisions and manage the purchasing team. Basically, more than the title itself, purchasing managers' success also lies in their ability to help the business grow and increase sales performance. That means endless strategizing techniques must be reviewed and may require overtime. It can seem like too much to handle but keeping the company on top of their game gives you great self-satisfaction.

More than business strategies, a purchasing manager must be people-oriented, too. Any manager should. When a team works together, under the guidance of the purchasing manager, success will just be around the corner. If you're wondering how, then why don't you find out by becoming one.

  • Average Salary: $98,118
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Material Manager

Role:

If you're interested in pursuing a career opportunity that is a little different from the usual ones, then taking up a job as a material manager is a viable option. Material manager is one of the promising professions that brings a lot of future opportunities, attractive salary packages, diverse employment options, job satisfaction, and much more! Material management is one field where there is ample career potential in both the public and private sectors. As a material manager, your core duty is to plan, organize, and supervise the inbound and outbound movement of materials or goods based on customer needs, inventory targets, and production schedules. Working as a material manager, you'll maintain inventory, oversee procurement, storage, control, production, and shipping process.

To become a material manager, you'll need a bachelor's degree, preferably in logistics or a related field. Experience in the relevant field is a bonus for you. Many employers want their material managers to have proven experience in managerial or supervisory roles. They must have a solid understanding of supply chain, forecasting, budgeting, and inventory management systems. Working as material manager, typically you'll work in a warehouse, although some travel may be required. Being a material manager, you may be employed in a range of different industries, such as aerospace, medical device companies, large-scale food operations, utility companies, or biotech organizations. Dealing with the shipment and procurement procedures, usually, you'll work regular business hours, although you may expect to work in shifts too.

While working as a material manager, you can expect to make an average wage of $97,386 per annum. However, your salary may vary depending on your experience, location, the sector you work in, and your professional qualifications. You may get additional benefits such as bonuses, a company car, private healthcare, life insurance, and a pension. Not only this, but working as a material manager your advancement chances are high. With advanced managerial skills, experience, and a zeal for your career, you can go up to the level of Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) or take the role of president.

  • Average Salary: $96,125
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Director Of Purchasing Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active director of purchasing jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where directors of purchasing earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Director Of Purchasing Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,626$118,873
2Texas808$88,795
3South Carolina762$83,226
4Illinois595$106,804
5Alabama589$79,474
6New York568$127,747
7Louisiana556$74,541
8Massachusetts516$124,021
9Florida497$68,429
10Georgia494$83,964
11Oklahoma449$76,819
12Washington417$130,154
13Pennsylvania398$111,030
14North Carolina381$107,572
15Virginia368$105,765
16New Jersey318$120,536
17Ohio310$98,369
18Colorado298$93,618
19West Virginia297$91,732
20Minnesota272$100,376
21Arizona271$97,901
22Maryland248$102,207
23Michigan241$124,662
24Wisconsin229$97,372
25Indiana222$92,121
26Missouri195$79,701
27South Dakota190$93,683
28Connecticut189$98,822
29Tennessee170$82,014
30Oregon169$112,371
31Kentucky123$94,421
32Iowa113$87,391
33Utah104$95,546
34Arkansas102$80,010
35Kansas90$82,792
36New Hampshire68$123,861
37Nevada63$110,744
38Rhode Island53$111,084
39Hawaii51$90,842
40Nebraska50$84,644
41Idaho46$102,307
42Mississippi39$77,360
43Maine32$114,475
44Delaware31$105,051
45Montana27$99,726
46New Mexico25$96,344
47Vermont22$127,270
48North Dakota20$86,757
49Alaska16$111,860
50Wyoming16$93,593

Director Of Purchasing Education

Director Of Purchasing Majors

44.4 %

Director Of Purchasing Degrees

Bachelors

67.9 %

Associate

14.3 %

Masters

11.2 %

Top Colleges for Director Of Purchasings

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

Top Skills For a Director Of Purchasing

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 17.6% of directors of purchasing listed supply chain on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and decisionmaking skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Director Of Purchasing Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Director Of Purchasing templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Director Of Purchasing resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Director Of Purchasing diversity

Director Of Purchasing Gender Distribution

Male
Male
75%
Female
Female
25%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among directors of purchasing, 24.9% of them are women, while 75.1% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among directors of purchasing is White, which makes up 66.8% of all directors of purchasing.

  • The most common foreign language among directors of purchasing is Spanish at 45.4%.

Online Courses For Director Of Purchasing That You May Like

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Best States For a Director Of Purchasing

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a director of purchasing. The best states for people in this position are Washington, New York, Vermont, and Michigan. Directors of purchasing make the most in Washington with an average salary of $130,154. Whereas in New York and Vermont, they would average $127,747 and $127,270, respectively. While directors of purchasing would only make an average of $124,662 in Michigan, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total Director Of Purchasing Jobs: 417
Highest 10% Earn:
$204,000
Location Quotient:
1.17

2. Massachusetts

Total Director Of Purchasing Jobs: 516
Highest 10% Earn:
$187,000
Location Quotient:
1.15

3. New York

Total Director Of Purchasing Jobs: 568
Highest 10% Earn:
$194,000
Location Quotient:
0.91
Full List Of Best States For Directors Of Purchasing

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Top Director Of Purchasing Employers

Most Common Employers For Director Of Purchasing

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Richmond American Homes$154,553$74.306
2Beazer Homes$153,422$73.766
3General Motors$131,010$62.997
4L'Oréal$127,412$61.268
5Lennar$126,452$60.7912
6Aramark$125,733$60.456
7Lear$123,861$59.558
8Henkel$119,642$57.529
9Schneider Electric Industrial Services$112,358$54.026
10Mandarin Oriental$106,286$51.107

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