ResumeXrays
Resume guide · Job Zone 4

Purchasing Managersresume guide.

Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. A strong Purchasing Managers resume shows active listening, management of personnel resources and speaking, and names the tools you have worked with, such as SAP software, Microsoft Access and Oracle Database.

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01Also called

O*NET
Category Purchasing ManagerCommodity ManagerMaterials DirectorMaterials ManagerProcurement DirectorProcurement ManagerPurchasing DirectorPurchasing ManagerPurchasing SupervisorStrategic Sourcing Director

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
Active ListeningVery highAdvanced
Management of Personnel ResourcesVery highAdvanced
SpeakingVery highAdvanced
MonitoringHighAdvanced
NegotiationHighAdvanced
Reading ComprehensionHighAdvanced
Social PerceptivenessHighAdvanced
Time ManagementHighAdvanced
WritingHighAdvanced
CoordinationHighIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

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  • Administration and Management
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Law and Government
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Mathematics
  • Administrative
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Education and Training

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
  2. Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
  3. Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
  4. Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
  5. Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
  6. Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
  7. Administer online purchasing systems.
  8. Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.
  9. Control purchasing department budgets.
  10. Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.

05Software and tools

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34 tools across 17 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Enterprise resource planning ERP software8
+ 3 more
Procurement software5
  • Purchasing softwareIn demand
  • Automated purchase order software
  • Bottomline Technologies Bottomline Sprinter Purchasing Manager
  • PurchasingNet eProcurement
  • SAP Ariba
Data base user interface and query software4
Electronic mail software2
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software2
  • Materials requirement planning MRP software
  • Infor Lawson Supply Chain Management
Project management software2
  • Microsoft ProjectHotIn demand
  • Oracle Primavera P6 Enterprise Portfolio Project Management
Business intelligence and data analysis software1
  • Qlik Tech QlikView
Calendar and scheduling software1
  • Scheduling software
Data base reporting software1
  • SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
Document management software1
Financial analysis software1
  • Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management Solutions
Internet browser software1
Office suite software1
Presentation software1
Process mapping and design software1
Spreadsheet software1
Word processing software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
53% of surveyed workers. Others report Post-Secondary Certificate (16%) and Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (11%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 4 · Considerable preparation
Usually a four-year degree and several years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with what you built. For a Job Zone 4 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.

Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "SAP software, Microsoft Access, Oracle Database, Microsoft Outlook" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.

Show management of personnel resources and speaking, not just active listening. Management of personnel resources and speaking rank close to active listening for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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