Supply chain manager vs director of purchasing

The differences between supply chain managers and directors of purchasing can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a supply chain manager and a director of purchasing. Additionally, a director of purchasing has an average salary of $106,945, which is higher than the $100,414 average annual salary of a supply chain manager.

The top three skills for a supply chain manager include supply chain, logistics and project management. The most important skills for a director of purchasing are supply chain, purchase orders, and product development.

Supply chain manager vs director of purchasing overview

	Supply Chain Manager	Director Of Purchasing
Yearly salary	$100,414	$106,945
Hourly rate	$48.28	$51.42
Growth rate	-	-6%
Number of jobs	37,773	17,847
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a supply chain manager do?

A supply chain manager is an individual who takes responsibility for managing hardware, equipment, and any other logistical details of an organization. Supply chain managers work alongside the external partners for parts and raw material procurement. They make sure that global companies coordinate with their sources of goods. These professionals also assess their suppliers and negotiate corporate contracts with vendors. The skills they needed include technical understanding, project management, cost accounting skills, and business ethics.

What does a director of purchasing do?

A director of purchasing oversees the procedures related to buying resources and supplies, directing operations from planning to execution while adhering to standards and company policies. They primarily perform research and assessments to understand project needs in terms of price, quality, and delivery time. They also identify ideal suppliers, negotiate deals, and build positive business relationships. Additionally, a director of purchasing has the authority to make significant decisions, delegate responsibilities among staff, oversee employment procedures within the department, and solve issues and concerns when any arise.

Supply chain manager vs director of purchasing salary

Supply chain managers and directors of purchasing have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Supply Chain Manager	Director Of Purchasing
Average salary	$100,414	$106,945
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $139,000	Between $68,000 And $166,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Washington
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	Rivian
Best paying industry	Professional	Manufacturing

Differences between supply chain manager and director of purchasing education

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

	Supply Chain Manager	Director Of Purchasing
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Supply chain manager vs director of purchasing demographics

Here are the differences between supply chain managers' and directors of purchasing' demographics:

	Supply Chain Manager	Director Of Purchasing
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between supply chain manager and director of purchasing duties and responsibilities

Supply chain manager example responsibilities.

Lead the SIOP process to establish continuous flow for customer deliveries while achieving a reduction in inventory.
Manage RFP process to identify best partners.
Develop and implement a process to manage and maintain accurate item master in LAWSON procurement system.
Raise capital, set up PMO office & lead cross-functional team to deliver a document management technology solution.
Pilot software implementation by establishing requirements, creating strategy, and defining implementation plan; manage integration with ERP system.
Manage production and warehouse teams ensuring DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations compliance while exceeding government nuclear facility audit standards.

Director of purchasing example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of the RFQ process, contracts, cost and rebate negotiations, and awarding of business.
Manage out-bound logistics services and third-party logistics providers to expand the range of commodities need to support automobile and aerospace manufacturing.
Develop standards and implement procedures for materials planning, product acquisition, inventory control, material distribution and logistics management.
Implement cost controls using commodity segmentation, vendor KPI's and cost justification base on key market indicators.
Monitor KPI indicators such as inventory turns, supplier on time delivery, inventory cycle count accuracy, and PPV.
Develop RFP (request for proposal) analysis, negotiation strategy, contract drafting and agreement execution plans on all contracts.

Supply chain manager vs director of purchasing skills

Common supply chain manager skills

Supply Chain, 20%
Logistics, 9%
Project Management, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Chain Management, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%

Common director of purchasing skills

Supply Chain, 18%
Purchase Orders, 9%
Product Development, 7%
Vendor Relations, 6%
Logistics, 5%
Cost Savings, 4%

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Supply Chain Manager vs Director Of Purchasing

Updated January 8, 2025

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