Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
13-1023.00
Median wages
$50,720
Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semi-finished materials for manufacturing.
Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.
Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.
Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
Maintain and review computerized or manual records of purchased items, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories.
Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.
Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time, and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.
Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.
Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.
Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.
Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.
Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.
Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices.
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Management of Financial Resources — Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation — Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Management of Material Resources — Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.