Procurement Manager: Job Responsibilities and Requirements

In modern society, the managerial profession is quite popular and in demand, but not everyone fully understands the essence of this type of activity. In addition, many have a somewhat general idea about this work, and few people know that the managerial profession is divided into many separate industries. For example, HR managers specialize in the selection of qualified personnel, and event managers base their activities on organizing various events. There is also an industry of procurement specialists whose activities are fundamentally different from the work of other representatives of this profession.

Let us consider in more detail the essence of the activities of the procurement manager, the main job responsibilities, requirements and other important nuances associated with this profession.

The procurement manager is a rather important link in the staff of any company, especially when it comes to a commercial enterprise. Exactly the duties of this specialist include the search for the most profitable trading offers, communication with suppliers, purchase of all necessary and preparation of relevant documentation.

In some especially large companies, even a special department is created for these purposes, whose employees have certain, deliberate tasks, so that their work is more coherent and measured, because more than one person is involved in the whole process, accordingly, there is no rush, the risk of confusion is minimized. For example, the practice of distributing employees to departments is typical for organizations engaged in public procurement. This may be agricultural products of various spectra, as well as various varieties and types of crops. In some cases, the manager may even need an assistant, on whom he can assign some of the responsibilities for the purchase of grain and other products.

Very often, procurement departments can be structured as follows:

• the main manager occupies a leadership position in the department and the bulk of the most responsibilities, respectively, lies with him, which makes him responsible for the work of the entire department;
• the manager has several assistants who simplify his work, who can help in finding profitable offers and organizing meetings with suppliers.

Like in any other field of activity, the profession of a procurement manager has its own advantages, but it cannot do without disadvantages.

The indisputable advantages include the following:

• constant study of the supply market, which to one degree or another contributes to a more intensive development of professional skills;
• due to the huge number of contacts with manufacturers of various goods and representatives of selling companies, you can get a good circle of acquaintances that may be useful in later life;
• in some cases, it is possible to purchase goods of foreign production, which can not be selected from a distance, because you must personally verify the quality of the product; that is why specialists in this field are provided with regular foreign business trips, in which one can also find time for personal leisure;
• the level of wages will always depend personally on your skills and professionalism, so you can be sure that truly high-quality work will always be appreciated.

Among the shortcomings, the following are most often noticed:

• a very high degree of responsibility that rests with the specialist - the functioning of the company as a whole depends on the purchasing manager, since the quality of the goods and the profitability of the transaction will directly affect the financial situation of the enterprise;
• in the absence of the necessary materials and raw materials from the usual suppliers, the specialist will have to urgently look for new ones, negotiate and draw up new contract terms;
• it is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of goods and raw materials to be purchased, since a shortage can lead to problems in production, and an excess can lead to problems in the financial plan.

The job responsibilities of the procurement manager, as well as the functions that this specialist performs, are very diverse, although they can boil down to one thing - procurement.

Let's consider in more detail what exactly a professional of this type does:

• as previously stated, the main responsibility is providing the enterprise with everything necessary for functioning;
• every procurement employee must know how to maintain good business relations with existing suppliershow to find new profitable offers;
• drawing up applications in the current time, which will indicate future orders - one of the main tasks;
• supply processes must be closely monitored, especially when it comes to cooperation with new suppliers, therefore, the responsibilities of the manager also include tracking supplies;
• in addition, a specialist should be constantly monitoring the supply market, in search of new suppliers, as well as tracking changes in the assortment of old ones;
• in accordance with the level of sales, which may increase or decrease, it is also necessary to make adjustments to the amount of purchased materialso that there is no situation with its shortage or excess;
• It is very important to keep track of new offers from regular suppliers., since in such cases it is possible to agree on more favorable terms of the transaction;
• in the case of the purchase of any categorical raw materials, for example, for food production or in a restaurant, it is necessary to verify the quality of the goods, as well as the expiration dates;
• and of course necessary resolve financial issues on timeto avoid debts to suppliers.

Job seekers who want to connect their activities with this profession should know that there are certain requirements that apply not only to professional standards, but also to personal qualities. Without a combination of all requirements and a certain level of competence, it is impossible to become a true professional in their field.

Of course, a person holding such a position should be very outstanding and have an active, confident life position. This is necessary to search for profitable commercial offers that meet the needs of the company. In addition, a solid internal “core” will help competently interact with competitors and lead healthy rivalry. It will be much easier for self-confident people who also possess qualities such as sociability, positivity and sociability to negotiate and find a common language with direct partners. A procurement manager with an analytical mindset can easily solve even the most complex tasks, if not in favor of his company, then at least not to the detriment of it.

Responsibility and punctuality will help in interacting with superiors and partners, because it is these qualities that will help you look more professional in the eyes of others. Fast learner, determination, as well as a high level of working capacity are the qualities that will help you develop in the professional sphere and achieve faster career growth.

There are also many other personal characteristics that a professional purchasing agent should possess. But in this case, the main qualities are presented, without which it is impossible to become a reliable specialist in their field.

As for knowledge and professional skills, everything is a bit more complicated here. The fact is that some personal qualities can be dispensed with if the specialist is fluent in professional skills, but the employer simply cannot turn a blind eye to the absence of even some of them, even if you are the owner of very attractive personal characteristics.

The specialist must have the following knowledge and skills:

• first of all, the professional standard defines the need for higher education in managementthanks to which you will know all the intricacies of the work, even in theory, if there is no practical experience;
• it is impossible to do without a certain level of training in matters of conducting business negotiations; especially appreciated are employees who have completed training courses in this area, where all the subtleties and important nuances of the process are studied in detail;
• in some cases it may be necessary to work with very large volumes of different information, therefore, a true professional should be well versed in the material and be able to quickly switch attention from one task to another;
• Besides, need to have knowledge in the field of logistics, and also have a certain level of knowledge in the field of civil and commercial legal systems;
• welcome knowledge in the field of pricing, confident use of a personal computer and experience in the field of sales.

Undoubtedly, each specialist should have a specialized education in his field, which allows him, at least in theory, to get an idea of ​​the position that he will occupy in the future. But often, many people think that for work in the procurement sector it is enough to have only a diploma confirming qualifications in the field of management. This opinion is erroneous, since it is necessary to have more narrow, specialized knowledge about this area. Even if you have a university degree in management, you definitely need to take a retraining course or take a continuing education course in procurement management and separately familiarize yourself with public procurement, which are fundamentally different from the commercial activities of private enterprises.

In addition, many employers are supporters of regular training for their employees, aimed at improving skills and updating knowledge, corresponding to a change in the situation on the market and in the country's economy. It should be prepared for the fact that upon receiving this position in any company, absolutely any format and scale, initially you will begin your career with a paid internship, upon successful completion of which you can already be considered a full-fledged purchasing manager. In the future, so that employees do not lose motivation to work, the boss should interest specialists, providing them with career opportunities. For example, in large companies where there are entire purchasing departments, you can start your career with a junior specialist, then get a promotion to a middle or senior professional and gradually get to the position of head of department.

In order for all of the applicants to pay attention to you, it is necessary to draw up a competent resume in which you will be presented in the most favorable light for the employer.

Consider the following basic rules for compiling a resume:

• do not stretch the story about yourself and your achievements over several pages; information should be concise and clear;
• It is strictly forbidden to misrepresent, regarding your training and work experience, since you will need to confirm this information with a document with an education diploma or work record;
• design should be holistic, therefore, it is recommended to use the same techniques to highlight any important details, as well as a single font;
• in order to get a favorable disposition of the employer in advance, it is recommended to attach your photo to the resume; best if it is a professional shot where you are presented in a fairly stylish but restrained manner;
• resume should be clean in terms of punctuation and spelling, and also have a certain focus - it is recommended to initially indicate the position and level of remuneration to which you aspire;
• personal achievementsReceived at previous jobs is also welcome.