Director of strategic sourcing vs purchasing manager

The differences between directors of strategic sourcing and purchasing managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of strategic sourcing and a purchasing manager. Additionally, a director of strategic sourcing has an average salary of $109,521, which is higher than the $98,118 average annual salary of a purchasing manager.

The top three skills for a director of strategic sourcing include strategic sourcing, supply chain and supplier performance. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.

Director of strategic sourcing vs purchasing manager overview

	Director Of Strategic Sourcing	Purchasing Manager
Yearly salary	$109,521	$98,118
Hourly rate	$52.65	$47.17
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	21,887	30,430
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director of strategic sourcing do?

A director of strategic sourcing is responsible for evaluating the production and manufacturing processes and developing initiatives to improve business operations and purchasing techniques. Directors of strategic sourcing negotiate contracts with trusted suppliers and vendors for high-quality resources and cost-efficient materials. They also conduct data and statistical analysis with the current market trends to identify supply opportunities and sourcing costs. A director of strategic sourcing handles the budget allocation for vendor assessments, requiring them to be highly-organizational and ensure the timely distribution of materials.

What does a purchasing manager do?

A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.

Director of strategic sourcing vs purchasing manager salary

Directors of strategic sourcing and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Strategic Sourcing	Purchasing Manager
Average salary	$109,521	$98,118
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $174,000	Between $70,000 And $136,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Richmond, CA
Highest paying state	California	Maine
Best paying company	Apple	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between director of strategic sourcing and purchasing manager education

There are a few differences between a director of strategic sourcing and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Strategic Sourcing	Purchasing Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Director of strategic sourcing vs purchasing manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of strategic sourcing' and purchasing managers' demographics:

	Director Of Strategic Sourcing	Purchasing Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%	Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between director of strategic sourcing and purchasing manager duties and responsibilities

Director of strategic sourcing example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate consecutive annual RFP's selecting print suppliers to print annual reports and proxy quotations meeting tight deadlines.
Lead the synergistic expansion of outsource logistics throughout multiple business acquisitions.
Manage entire RFX event lifecycle, including requirements gathering, supplier strategy development, contract negotiations and program implementation.
Administer all activities with assign contracts, commodities and customer support areas.
Identify options and plan for ERP system implementation, to be execute when fund.
Lead team that utilize a consistent and efficient RFI and RFP process to generate significant savings

Purchasing manager example responsibilities.

Manage payroll and accounts payable.
Lead major purchasing projects for automotive OEM vehicles.
Used RFI, RFP, RFQ techniques to identify, select, and engage with suppliers to ensure competitive market advantage.
Establish an integrate MRO supply program which eliminate specific company manage buying, inventory control and warehousing functions.
Manage all procurement activities to support manufacturing operations including raw materials, tooling, components and MRO services.
Manage several indirect sourcing RFP projects including categories for translation services, payroll services, capital equipment and engineering services.

Director of strategic sourcing vs purchasing manager skills

Common director of strategic sourcing skills

Strategic Sourcing, 16%
Supply Chain, 11%
Supplier Performance, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Cost Reduction, 3%

Common purchasing manager skills

Supply Chain, 15%
Strategic Sourcing, 7%
Project Management, 5%
Supplier Performance, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
Purchase Orders, 4%

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Director Of Strategic Sourcing
Director Of Strategic Sourcing vs Purchasing Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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