Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
Business and Financial Operations
What an organization needs to operate, including machinery, equipment, parts, supplies, services, or materials for manufacturing, is specified, put out to bid, and ordered. Requisitions are reviewed, product specifications written, and bid proposals compared so the right quantity is bought at a reasonable price. Suppliers are judged on quality, availability, service, and record, not price alone, and applicable procurement laws are followed. Purchasing clerks, buyers, or expediters may be hired, trained, or supervised, and policies for bidding are set. Suits people who like comparing technical specs, digging into price proposals, and holding vendors to written terms.
Typical education: Bachelor’s Degree (4-year)
What you might do
- Order equipment, parts, or supplies for operations
- Compare bids to judge fair prices and quality
- Prepare purchase orders and request supplier bids
- Write specifications for goods and services needed
- Research suppliers for price, quality, and reliability
- Draft policies for bids and company purchasing
Skills that matter
- Writing purchase orders and bid requests
- Comparing price proposals from suppliers
- Judging vendors on quality and reliability
- Reading procurement laws and regulations
- Drafting specifications for goods and services
- Settling disputes over bids and contracts
AI & the future of this role
Sourcing searches, bid comparison, and routine purchase paperwork are likely candidates for greater automation. Complex specs, supplier risk calls, and relationship management may still require experienced human judgment.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details