How To Become A Senior Sourcing Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior sourcing manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A senior sourcing manager identifies and selects suppliers to provide goods and services to a company. They oversee the procurement process, negotiate contracts, and manage supplier relationships to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and timely delivery. Senior sourcing managers work with others to understand their needs and develop strategies that align with the company's goals. They also stay up-to-date on industry trends to continuously improve the procurement process. Overall, their role maintains a competitive advantage for the company.

ScoreSenior Sourcing ManagerUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $113,406

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate -6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 7.46%

Black or African American 9.10%

Hispanic or Latino 12.33%

Unknown 3.82%

White 66.99%

Gender

female 36.14%

male 63.86%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a senior sourcing manager?

Pros

High salary and good benefits package
Opportunities for career advancement
Chance to travel and work with global suppliers
Opportunity to negotiate contracts and deals
Chance to implement innovative sourcing strategies

Cons

High levels of stress and pressure
Long working hours
Risk of burnout due to high levels of responsibility
Exposure to legal and compliance risks
Need for continuous learning and development to stay up-to-date with industry trends

Key steps to become a senior sourcing manager

Explore senior sourcing manager education requirements

Most common senior sourcing manager degrees

Bachelor's

69.1 %

Master's

19.4 %

Associate

7.4 %

Start to develop specific senior sourcing manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Strategic Sourcing	9.40%
Project Management	7.96%
Category Strategies	5.20%
Supplier Performance	5.06%
Supplier Relationships	4.26%

Complete relevant senior sourcing manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior sourcing managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior sourcing manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior sourcing manager resumes.

Research senior sourcing manager duties and responsibilities

Manage and lead identified team through all sourcing activities including RFP development and analysis, auctioning, consortium buying, etc.
Manage OEM purchase FG & new product device introduction.
Manage domestic material suppliers, service providers and MRO vendors.
Lead selection process for reverse auction and on-line RFx technology by service providers.

Get senior sourcing manager experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior sourcing manager. The most common roles before becoming a senior sourcing manager include purchasing manager, senior buyer team lead and buyer.

Prepare your senior sourcing manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior sourcing manager resume.

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