How to hire an inventory/purchasing manager

How to hire an inventory/purchasing manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step inventory/purchasing manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an inventory/purchasing manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new inventory/purchasing manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your inventory/purchasing manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an inventory/purchasing manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An inventory/purchasing manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, inventory/purchasing managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of inventory/purchasing managers.

   Type of Inventory/Purchasing Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Inventory/Purchasing Manager	Purchasing managers plan, direct, and coordinate the buying of materials, products, or services for wholesalers, retailers, or organizations. They oversee the work of procurement-related occupations including buyers and purchasing agents.	$15-41
   Director, Procurement	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... Show more	$47-95
   Contracts Director	A contract director is primarily in charge of developing and negotiating contracts with clients and partners, ensuring adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to foresee potential advantages and disadvantages, coordinating with analysts and other experts, monitoring the progress of operations to ensure contract compliance of both parties, and overseeing the development of proposals within the organization... Show more	$22-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Purchase Orders
   • Vendor Relations
   • Inventory Control
   • Logistics
   • Cycle Counts
   • Inventory
   • ERP
   • MRP
   • Cost Savings
   • Manage Inventory
   • On-Time Delivery
   • Customer Orders
   • RFQ
   • Cost Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Key coordinator in achieving compliance to ISO 9001-2008 certification.
   • Manage purchasing/Inventory with MRP software system.
   • Manage several indirect sourcing RFP projects including categories for translation services, payroll services, capital equipment and engineering services.
   • Implement state-of-the-art ERP system to replace manual inventory system.
   • Develop and implement working processes and retail POS systems to establish and maintain inventory, sales and accounting policy and procedures.
   • Perform supplier ratings for ISO quality management system.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your inventory/purchasing manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An inventory/purchasing manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, inventory/purchasing managers' average salary in florida is 45% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level inventory/purchasing managers earn 63% less than senior-level inventory/purchasing managers.
   • Certifications. An inventory/purchasing manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an inventory/purchasing manager's salary.

   Average inventory/purchasing manager salary

   $53,104yearly

   $25.53 hourly rate

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   Entry-level inventory/purchasing manager salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

4. Writing an inventory/purchasing manager job description

   A job description for an inventory/purchasing manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an inventory/purchasing manager job description:

   Inventory/purchasing manager job description example

   Up to $80,000 to start plus annual bonus and great benefits

   As Purchasing and Inventory Manager, you will:

   • Join a specialist in engineered products for construction industry applications
   • Plan, implement and execute sourcing, procurement, logistics and inventory management strategies
   • Strengthen inventory control, inventory planning and inventory analysis processes
   • Streamline logistics processes for getting finished goods to jobsites
   • Collaborate with internal teams, outside suppliers and construction project managers
   • Uphold project timelines, budgets, customer requirements and quality standards
   • Track the status of open projects
   • Troubleshoot issues as they arise
   • Contribute to strategic pricing initiatives
   • Run reports, produce forecasts and conduct analysis
   • Handle special projects
   • Perform other duties as assigned

   An ideal candidate profile will include:

   • At least 5 years of Purchasing experience
   • At least 5 years of Inventory Control experience

   With:

   • A Bachelor's Degree
   • Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

   Pluses:

   • +++ Acumatica experience

   West Suburbs of Chicago - Itasca, IL

   JobGiraffe's client is a specialist in the construction industry.

   Enhanced health safety policies, procedures and measures are in place within the facility.

   JG ID #22-2005 - Itasca, IL 60143 – Beverly Rumishek, Lead Recruiter

   Company DescriptionEach year JobGiraffe helps thousands of job seekers to find direct hire, temp-to-hire and contract positions throughout Chicago and the Suburbs.
   
   Whether our clients are hiring for a specific position or staffing an entire department, JobGiraffe connects the very best job seekers with the companies who need them.
   
   All fees and associated placement costs are paid for by the clients of JobGiraffe. There is never any cost or fee to our candidates and no contracts or obligations are required.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right inventory/purchasing manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with inventory/purchasing managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit inventory/purchasing managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your inventory/purchasing manager job on Zippia to find and recruit inventory/purchasing manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with inventory/purchasing manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new inventory/purchasing manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect inventory/purchasing manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new inventory/purchasing manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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