Director, procurement vs planning manager

The differences between directors, procurement and planning managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a director, procurement, becoming a planning manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a director, procurement has an average salary of $140,058, which is higher than the $98,486 average annual salary of a planning manager.

The top three skills for a director, procurement include strategic sourcing, supplier performance and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a planning manager are project management, customer service, and strong analytical.

Director, procurement vs planning manager overview

	Director, Procurement	Planning Manager
Yearly salary	$140,058	$98,486
Hourly rate	$67.34	$47.35
Growth rate	-6%	10%
Number of jobs	18,037	137,190
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	47	39
Years of experience	6	10

What does a director, procurement do?

The responsibilities of a procurement director revolve around ensuring the efficient and smooth flow of supplies within the company, developing procurement strategies for optimal services and operations, assessing risks, and overseeing the implementation of new policies and regulations in the company. It is essential to coordinate with analysts to identify areas with potential opportunities or those needing improvements. Moreover, a director, procurement may directly communicate with stakeholders or higher-ranking officials, participate in recruiting new members of the workforce, and create programs for profit growth and significant results.

What does a planning manager do?

Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.

Director, procurement vs planning manager salary

Directors, procurement and planning managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director, Procurement	Planning Manager
Average salary	$140,058	$98,486
Salary range	Between $98,000 And $199,000	Between $71,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Apple	ZS
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between director, procurement and planning manager education

There are a few differences between a director, procurement and a planning manager in terms of educational background:

	Director, Procurement	Planning Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Georgia

Director, procurement vs planning manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors, procurement' and planning managers' demographics:

	Director, Procurement	Planning Manager
Average age	47	39
Gender ratio	Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0%	Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	11%	10%

Differences between director, procurement and planning manager duties and responsibilities

Director, procurement example responsibilities.

Develop and deploy integrated visual MRP tools to forecast and manage a constrain and vary purchasing model.
Develop and lead cross-functional team to correct and optimize company ERP system resulting in an efficient order and fulfillment process.
Manage RFP authoring and all aspects of the proposal/bidding process for special bond programs, SPLOST, and typical departmental needs.
Centralize vendor management, outsource/off-shore vendor restructure master agreements and manage RFP process.
Lead several highly visible project which require project oversight, budget management and ongoing communication.
Develop a global sourcing & production strategy and vendor matrix appropriate for all product lines including apparel and textiles.

Planning manager example responsibilities.

Lead a team that contribute to Mexico achieving the #1 market position through the implementation of CPFR and sales support.
Manage commodities teams in support of program execution.
Lead initial rollout of JDA / manugistics concepts and forecasting operations.
Manage and analyze monthly OTB opportunities base on receipt projections using JDA.
Used people skills managing upward to build corporate consensus on ISO processes and controls.
Develop an ABC class system, which lead to a $1,000,000 inventory reduction.

Director, procurement vs planning manager skills

Common director, procurement skills

Strategic Sourcing, 7%
Supplier Performance, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Logistics, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Lean Manufacturing, 4%

Common planning manager skills

Project Management, 11%
Customer Service, 8%
Strong Analytical, 7%
KPIs, 7%
Demand Planning, 7%
Capacity Planning, 4%

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Director, Procurement
Director, Procurement vs Planning Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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