What does a senior purchasing manager do?
A senior purchasing manager is responsible for spearheading and overseeing the efforts in purchasing supplies for a company. They are in charge of managing purchasing teams, gathering purchase requests, identifying the company's needs, and setting goals in adherence to the budget. They must also liaise with vendors and suppliers, negotiate contracts, and build positive relationships with them. Furthermore, as a senior manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior purchasing manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior purchasing manager resumes:
- Used RFI, RFP, RFQ techniques to identify, select, and engage with suppliers to ensure competitive market advantage.
- Prepare contracts utilizing ERP and requisition demand throughout procurement process.
- Obtain favorable pricing by tracking and recording various commodities through magazines, internet, and other resource materials.
- Monitor shipments and shipping logistics to make sure they are shipped in the most efficient and cost effective manner.
- Draft and publish global, regional, and localization strategies for all commodities reducing the number of source suppliers per commodity.
- Create and implement purchasing policies/procedures to obtain ISO certification.
- Develop logistics procedures for importing, exporting, and warehouse management.
- Communicate with other Cameron facilities worldwide and outside vendors to obtain materials and services require to fulfill customer projects and orders.
- Purchase products to fill prescriptions, prepare and perform quarterly inventory, and organize pharmaceutical shelves to maintain clean and efficiency.
- Use AS400 to coordinate inventory on hand and inventory schedule to arrive.
- Plan, implement production activities, tracking assemblies and sub-assemblies, expedite movement of critical WIP shortage items meeting deadlines.
- Update pricing in the MAPICS AS400 system for raw material inventory items for all NA battery plants.
- Perform all shipping functions utilizing small package, LTL and freight forwarders as required.
- Negotiate and work with LTL, TL, and small package carriers and consolidators.
- Update new items, prices and assigns part number in Quickbooks.
Senior purchasing manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Senior Purchasing Managers are proficient in Supply Chain, Purchase Orders, and Logistics. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Decisionmaking skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Purchasing Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Supply Chain, 22%
Managed strategic and tactical planning, project management and execution of all supply chain activities associated with the Product Development Process.
- Purchase Orders, 8%
Processed approximately 10,000 purchase orders per year by recommending and installing automated systems to replace antiquated ones.
- Logistics, 6%
Developed logistics procedures for importing, exporting, and warehouse management.
- Project Management, 5%
Coordinate with international suppliers and project management on the procurement and delivery of capital project equipment.
- Chain Management, 4%
Promoted strategic Supply Chain Management techniques to replace tactical buying; Championed Lean Manufacturing concepts to improve throughput/reduce waste.
- Supplier Management, 4%
Re-organized the purchasing department: from tactical project-oriented buying to strategic commodity based supplier management.
"supply chain," "purchase orders," and "logistics" are among the most common skills that senior purchasing managers use at work. You can find even more senior purchasing manager responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a senior purchasing manager to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what senior purchasing managers do because "when evaluating suppliers, purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must analyze their options and choose a supplier with the best combination of price, quality, delivery, or service." Additionally, a senior purchasing manager resume shows how senior purchasing managers use analytical skills: "operate word and data processing equipment to generate purchase orders and produce related documents and correspondence. "
Decisionmaking skills. Another essential skill to perform senior purchasing manager duties is decisionmaking skills. Senior purchasing managers responsibilities require that "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must have the ability to make informed and timely decisions, choosing products that they think will sell." Senior purchasing managers also use decisionmaking skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "led the make-buy decisionmaking process and supply chain definition for all new components, sub-assemblies and assemblies of new products. "
Math skills. senior purchasing managers are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to senior purchasing manager responsibilities, because "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must possess math skills." A senior purchasing manager resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "generate supplier on-time delivery statistics and communicate to other management members and suppliers. "
Negotiating skills. A big part of what senior purchasing managers do relies on "negotiating skills." You can see how essential it is to senior purchasing manager responsibilities because "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents often must negotiate the terms of a contract with a supplier." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical senior purchasing manager tasks: "work very closely with finance and suppliers negotiating payment terms and establishing partnerships. "
The three companies that hire the most senior purchasing managers are:
- Burns & McDonnell6 senior purchasing managers jobs
- Marriott International3 senior purchasing managers jobs
- P&G3 senior purchasing managers jobs
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Compare different senior purchasing managers
Senior purchasing manager vs. 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. 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, senior purchasing manager responsibilities require skills like "supply chain," "project management," "product development," and "vendor relationships." Meanwhile a typical director, procurement has skills in areas such as "continuous improvement," "customer service," "lean manufacturing," and "oversight." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Directors, procurement tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $148,169. In contrast, senior purchasing managers make the biggest average salary, $124,077, in the technology industry.directors, procurement tend to reach higher levels of education than senior purchasing managers. In fact, directors, procurement are 6.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Senior purchasing manager vs. 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. 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, senior purchasing manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "supply chain," "purchase orders," "chain management," and "supplier management." Meanwhile, a contracts director has duties that require skills in areas such as "contract management," "oversight," "contract terms," and "strong analytical." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Contracts directors may earn a lower salary than senior purchasing managers, but contracts directors earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $87,719. On the other hand, senior purchasing managers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $124,077.contracts directors earn higher levels of education than senior purchasing managers in general. They're 5.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior purchasing manager vs. Supply chain director
A supply chain director is primarily in charge of the overall supply chain operations in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to improve processes, creating business plans and sales forecasts, delegating tasks, coordinating and selecting suppliers and vendors, creating new supply chain policies when necessary, and spearheading the inventory and delivery processes. There are also instances when a supply chain director must report to higher-ranking officials, produce progress reports, and craft presentations. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead the workforce while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from senior purchasing manager resumes include skills like "purchase orders," "project management," "product development," and "vendor relationships," whereas a supply chain director is more likely to list skills in "chain operations," "continuous improvement," "supply chain planning," and "business processes. "
Supply chain directors make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $134,920. On the other hand, senior purchasing managers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $124,077.supply chain directors typically earn higher educational levels compared to senior purchasing managers. Specifically, they're 5.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior purchasing manager vs. Procurement agent
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.
Types of senior purchasing manager
Updated January 8, 2025
