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Purchasing program manager vs contracts director

The differences between purchasing program managers and contracts directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a purchasing program manager and a contracts director. Additionally, a purchasing program manager has an average salary of $76,255, which is higher than the $73,351 average annual salary of a contracts director.

The top three skills for a purchasing program manager include supply chain, logistics and RFQ. The most important skills for a contracts director are contract management, oversight, and contract terms.

Purchasing program manager vs contracts director overview

Purchasing Program ManagerContracts Director
Yearly salary$76,255$73,351
Hourly rate$36.66$35.26
Growth rate-6%-6%
Number of jobs98,76912,378
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a purchasing program manager do?

Purchasing Program Managers will need a bachelor's degree in this field with certification options in the Institute for Supply Management, American Purchasing Society, Association for Operations Management, or other such organizations. They must also have cultivated skills in understanding supply chains, supplier performance, and logistics. Paying out at around $103K per year on average, they will be called to design, plan, and implement strategies for sourcing and purchasing, work with the suppliers and manufacturers, maintain databases of suppliers, negotiate price lowering, and focus on building and maintaining relationships with the necessary suppliers and vendors.

What does a contracts director do?

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. Furthermore, as a contract director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the mission and vision of the company.

Purchasing program manager vs contracts director salary

Purchasing program managers and contracts directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Purchasing Program ManagerContracts Director
Average salary$76,255$73,351
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $171,000Between $46,000 And $116,000
Highest paying CityRidgecrest, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companySafranEdwards Lifesciences
Best paying industryProfessionalManufacturing

Differences between purchasing program manager and contracts director education

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

Purchasing Program ManagerContracts Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Purchasing program manager vs contracts director demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing program managers' and contracts directors' demographics:

Purchasing Program ManagerContracts Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 59.3% Female, 40.7%Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between purchasing program manager and contracts director duties and responsibilities

Purchasing program manager example responsibilities.

  • Define and manage overall clear to build process (CTB).
  • Manage material and subcontract EVMS, budget, inventory, forecasting and procurement contracts.
  • Manage all earn value (EVMS) requirements for labor, purchase materials and subcontracts.
  • Build and manage the strategic planning, KPI, annual material cost budget, and department budget.
  • Manage EAC's, earn value, forecasting, and cash flow; offset variances with risk reduction opportunities.
  • Manage order processing and weekly production scheduling for assign commodities.
  • Show more

Contracts director example responsibilities.

  • Manage client audits (EPA, DCAA, local and state agencies) to resolve audit and rate variances.
  • Prepare and execute contractual documents: contracts, NDAs, consulting agreements, and subcontracts to achieve best value for company.
  • Establish managed care Medicaid funding models with several major integrate medical delivery systems.
  • Manage administrative support, handle payroll, develop company policies and procedures manual.
  • Target negotiations for development areas including Medicaid and Medicare products.
  • Review and sign off on final documents for the issuance of RFP solicitations and the execution of contracts and supplemental agreements.
  • Show more

Purchasing program manager vs contracts director skills

Common purchasing program manager skills
  • Supply Chain, 19%
  • Logistics, 12%
  • RFQ, 10%
  • Supplier Quality, 9%
  • On-Time Delivery, 6%
  • Program Management, 6%
Common contracts director skills
  • Contract Management, 8%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Contract Terms, 6%
  • Strong Analytical, 6%
  • Contract Administration, 6%
  • Project Management, 4%

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