Description

Procurement and purchasing agents and officers source and purchase general and specialized equipment, materials, business services and land or access rights for use or for further processing by their establishment. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.

Job Titles

• Contract management officer
• Contracts officer
• Energy asset surface land analyst
• Furniture and furnishings purchaser
• Government supply officer
• Material management officer
• Procurement officer
• Purchasing agent
• Strategic sourcing analyst

Main Duties

• Evaluate risk, assess, prepare forecasts, scenarios and other factors concerning the supply market, and write reports and recommendations
• Provides research and input into the financial sourcing aspects of contracts and calls for tender when information is not readily available
• Identify high impact cost reduction opportunities
• Leverage the organization’s buying power to optimize costs, access new suppliers, reduce lead times, and guarantee supply
• Develop and maintain relationships with existing and potential buyers and suppliers to the organization
• Respond to customer service inquiries and clarify requirements and provide information as needed.
• Purchase general and specialized equipment and materials, business services and land or access rights for use or for further processing by their establishment
• Assess requirements of an establishment and develop specifications for equipment, materials and supplies to be purchased
• Invite tenders, consult with suppliers and review quotations
• Determine or negotiate contract terms and conditions, award supplier contracts or recommend contract awards
• Establish logistics of delivery schedules, monitor progress and contact clients and suppliers to resolve problems
• Negotiate land acquisition or access rights for public or private use, and may conduct field investigations of properties
• May hire, train or supervise purchasing clerks.

Workplaces

• Establishments throughout the private and public sector

Work Environment

• Indoors, environmentally controlled
• Close proximity to others

Physical Demands

• Sitting
• Handling material manually

Requirements

• Procurement and purchasing agents and officers usually require a bachelor’s degree or college diploma in business administration, commerce or economics.
• Procurement and purchasing agents and officers purchasing specialized materials or business services may require a related university degree or college diploma. For example, a bachelor’s degree or college diploma in engineering may be required for purchasers of industrial products.
• A certificate in purchasing from the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) may be required.
• Previous experience as a purchasing clerk or as an administrative clerk may be required.
• Certification from the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) may be required.
• Sourcing specialists and analysts usually require a bachelor’s degree or college diploma in economics, logistics, operations management, finance, engineering, mathematics, or statistical analysis.
• Previous work experience in supply chain for sourcing specialists and analysts is usually required.

Skills

• Negotiating
• Management of Financial Resources
• Management of Material Resources
• Persuading
• Coordinating

Abilities

• Verbal Ability
• Categorization Flexibility
• Deductive Reasoning
• Fluency of Ideas
• Inductive Reasoning

Personal Attributes

• Attention to Detail
• Active Learning
• Adaptability
• Analytical Thinking
• Collaboration

Similar Occupations

• Purchasing managers (10012)
• Purchasing and inventory control workers (14403)
• Retail and wholesale buyers (62101)

Source: OaSIS