What does a procurement agent do?
A procurement agent develops profitable measures to save the client money and ensure the quality of goods supplied. Procurement agents obtain the purchased items through suppliers, monitor them, and expedite the orders. They oversee the activities and performance of the suppliers for compliance. Their duties include the verification of item receipts, resolving shipment-related problems, and authorizing purchase payments through documentation. The necessary skills for this job include being accomplished, decisive, and strong communication skills.
Procurement agent responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real procurement agent resumes:
- Achieve $200k cost savings buy locating excess material from OEM.
- Manage project size OEM bills of material from supplier negotiation through final invoice.
- Monitor and manage cost of components for bill of material (BOM), schedule lead times and performance with budgets.
- Prepare strategic commodity business plans for globally manage commodities, performing spend analysis, and identifying part cost drivers.
- Process purchase requisitions to POs for different commodities for MCI s end-user community.
- Perform category spend analysis of indirect spend for hotel expenses to determine hotel candidates for 2010 RFP corporate rate negotiations.
- Create and implement the KPIs for the department.
- Source, interview and visit suppliers; review supplier KPIs (i.e.
- Leverage a variety of marketing vehicles to acquire and promote deal inventory.
- Consult instructions, policies and procedures as prescribed by legal, regulatory and GSA schedules.
- Perform internet searches using social media (job boards, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc . )
- Enter new home data into AS400 database, generating material purchase orders for homes under construction.
- Publish a variety of articles on LinkedIn tailor to assist job seekers in what / what not to do.
- Issue RFQ's to suppliers and review quote submissions of suppliers to support program changes for engineering changes and VA/VE actions.
- Expedite deliveries to meet and exceed schedule critical requirements.
Procurement agent skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Procurement Agents are proficient in Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, and Supplier Performance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Procurement Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Supply Chain, 15%
Collaborate with management teams and customers in order to streamline processes and improve productivity by maximizing supply chain functions Utilize Lean methods
- Strategic Sourcing, 6%
Performed extensive Strategic Sourcing and Recruiting for primarily hard-to-fill/critically sensitive requisitions of all levels (intern up to senior level).
- Supplier Performance, 6%
Developed and coordinated strategic and tactical goals, communication with supplier executives and internal management, and ownership of supplier performance.
- Customer Service, 5%
Created and implemented procedural document for the Customer Service Department and Store Managers for returns that are regulatory and governmental audits.
- Inventory Control, 4%
Worked on inventory control to ensure proper amounts of materials were available and informed management when replenishment of items was required.
- Purchase Orders, 4%
Perform post-award purchase order/contract administration function, including monitoring and insuring compliance with general and special purchase order/contract clauses.
Most procurement agents use their skills in "supply chain," "strategic sourcing," and "supplier performance" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential procurement agent responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a procurement agent to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "management analysts must be able to interpret information and use their findings to make proposals." Procurement agents often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "developed supplier relationship with effective communication skills, analyzed quotations from suppliers. "
Communication skills. Many procurement agent duties rely on communication skills. "management analysts must be able to convey information clearly in both writing and speaking," so a procurement agent will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways procurement agent responsibilities rely on communication skills: "managed customer and supplier relationships by building a professional rapport, following up consistently and by maintaining ongoing contact and communication. "
Interpersonal skills. procurement agents are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to procurement agent responsibilities, because "management analysts work with managers and other employees of the organizations for which they provide consulting services." A procurement agent resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "detail-oriented with excellent follow-up skills excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to deal with all levels of management. "
Problem-solving skills. A big part of what procurement agents do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to procurement agent responsibilities because "management analysts must be able to think creatively to solve clients’ problems." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical procurement agent tasks: "processed purchase orders and changes; resolved accounts payable issues. "
Time-management skills. A commonly-found skill in procurement agent job descriptions, "time-management skills" is essential to what procurement agents do. Procurement agent responsibilities rely on this skill because "management analysts often work under tight deadlines and must use their time efficiently to complete projects on schedule." You can also see how procurement agent duties rely on time-management skills in this resume example: "process all manual purchase orders, expedite with the suppliers to meet deadlines and follow up cancellations with the suppliers. "
The three companies that hire the most procurement agents are:
- Honeywell152 procurement agents jobs
- CDM Smith97 procurement agents jobs
- Deloitte78 procurement agents jobs
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Compare different procurement agents
Procurement agent vs. Buyer
A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products. They also conduct extensive research for market and price trends while considering the highest quality standards. Buyers should also possess strong analytical skills to create purchase orders and statistical analysis.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between procurement agents and buyer. For instance, procurement agent responsibilities require skills such as "supply chain," "project management," "continuous improvement," and "supplier management." Whereas a buyer is skilled in "delivery dates," "pos," "market trends," and "product quality." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Buyers earn the highest salaries when working in the automotive industry, with an average yearly salary of $59,735. On the other hand, procurement agents are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $76,921.On average, buyers reach lower levels of education than procurement agents. Buyers are 5.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Procurement agent vs. Supply chain specialist
It is the responsibility of the supply chain specialist to procure materials to manufacture and ship products. The supply chain specialist determines and orders the proper quantities and negotiates pricing and their shipment terms. They oversee the delivery of necessary materials for the fulfillment of orders made by customers. The specialists need to develop strong skills in project management, business ethics, problem-solving, understanding of financial statements, communication skills, and cost accounting skills.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that procurement agent responsibilities requires skills like "project management," "supplier management," "supplier selection," and "hr." But a supply chain specialist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "chain management," "lean six sigma," "import export," and "data analysis."
On average, supply chain specialists earn a lower salary than procurement agents. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, supply chain specialists earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $92,301. Whereas procurement agents have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $76,921.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Supply chain specialists tend to reach similar levels of education than procurement agents. In fact, they're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Procurement agent vs. Landman
Landmen are referred to as the public-facing side of a gas, mineral, and oil exploration and production team. They are professionals who interact and negotiate directly with landowners for the acquisition of gas and oil drilling leases. Their duties include acquiring subsurface mineral rights from the landowners. They negotiate mineral rights, which include marketing and leasing right from the owner. The skills necessary for the job include management skills, leadership, communication skills, and attention to detail.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a procurement agent is likely to be skilled in "supply chain," "strategic sourcing," "supplier performance," and "customer service," while a typical landman is skilled in "ownership reports," "title searches," "due diligence," and "right-of-way."
Landmen typically earn lower educational levels compared to procurement agents. Specifically, they're 6.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 7.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Procurement agent vs. Purchasing supervisor
A purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.
Types of procurement agent
Updated January 8, 2025
