Procurement titles make it possible for teams to optimize processes within sourcing, supply chain management, supplier relations, and many more. With global industries evolving at impressive rates, procurement professionals empower businesses in multiple ways.
In this article, we explore twenty key procurement titles, which are indispensable and highly valuable titles that assist procurement in their respective specialties.
We’ve listed twenty roles in procurement to help you better understand how different professionals empower procurement processes. Delve into the world of procurement and its diverse professions.
As more industries expand, the volume of workloads within processes also grows. The procurement process involves several complex and uncomplicated steps requiring meticulous attention to detail and expertise. However, there aren’t enough procurement experts to handle this robust workload.
Based on a report from The Hackett Group, companies worldwide are experiencing a 10.6% rise in procurement needs. Due to the lack of procurement experts in the industry— increasing the gap in productivity and effectiveness —businesses have to handle more tasks with smaller budgets and scarce numbers of experts.
In the area of procurement, the process goes beyond simply requiring one procurement professional to select, source, purchase, and finalize the process in its entirety. Procurement involves multiple steps, each requiring the specialized expertise of more than one professional, to take the procurement process from start to finish.
This is where procurement titles come in. Procurement professionals have specific roles— think of it as wearing different hats— depending on their expertise, the scale of operations, and the type of businesses in which they operate.
Procurement titles indicate experienced, proactive professionals who bring all kinds of value and knowledge to procurement processes. Depending on their expertise, procurement experts assist in various aspects of the process.
Below are twenty key procurement titles, including their day-to-day duties and how they help the procurement process.
As a leader in procurement, the procurement manager oversees the entire procurement process. From strategic sourcing and planning to vendor management and contract negotiation, the procurement manager combines negotiation skills with their experience in navigating supply chains.
Procurement managers also dedicate their research to finding the right suppliers that offer the best terms while providing products and services that meet the company’s standards. In short, a procurement manager is responsible for making sure the procurement process meets the company’s needs through strategic planning, research, negotiation, and supplier selection.
A senior procurement specialist is a highly experienced professional who has specialized expertise in the field of procurement, from strategic sourcing to supply chain management. Within their company, the senior procurement specialist is responsible for leading large procurement processes, addressing risks proactively, and managing supplier relationships.
To be certified as a senior procurement specialist, professionals are required to have at least five years of experience in procurement. With their experience and knowledge, they can navigate the dynamics of procurement that help companies acquire quality goods and services.
A procurement analyst’s responsibilities are to analyze data on suppliers, products, costs, and delivery times to assess and compare variables. This enables them to determine which suppliers and products are the most suitable for the company.
Procurement analysts also communicate with suppliers, visiting distribution centers, factories, and warehouses to better understand the products and services they offer. This part of the process typically necessitates traveling and attending conferences to derive insights into all aspects of the process.
Furthermore, procurement analysts constantly study historical sales data and inventory levels, which enables them to stay updated on the factors that could directly or indirectly affect the supply chain.
The duties of a strategic sourcing manager involve analyzing indirect spend, which involves the purchasing of goods and services that don’t directly contribute to an end product.
Within the procurement team, a strategic sourcing manager works in the area of finance and operations management. Aside from taking the cost and quality of a product into account, strategic sourcing managers weigh the benefits and risks associated with selecting a supplier.
Also known as buyers, purchasing agents assist procurement processes by working with purchasing managers to evaluate suppliers and negotiate business deals based on criteria such as reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Purchasing agents are solely responsible for buying the products an organization needs for its manufacturing processes or reselling.
A supply chain coordinator is responsible for enabling the movement of goods and services throughout the supply chain, from inventory to the final consumer. In supply chain coordination, strategies are typically put in place to help oversee supply chain functions such as storage, inventory management, transportation, and more.
Supply chain coordinators can also be viewed as managers of the supply chain, as their duties also encompass managing operations, shipping orders, negotiating shipping fees, and tracking the delivery of products.
The role of a vendor management specialist is to be the point of contact between businesses and their vendors to coordinate payments, manage expenditures, and maintain communication.
A vendor management specialist is required to have skills in account management and customer service. This enables them to collaborate with vendors to reach agreeable terms that are both efficient and low-cost.
In procurement, contract administrators play an important role in fostering positive relationships with suppliers while maintaining financial value. The responsibilities associated with contract administration involve drafting, negotiating, editing, and reviewing, which are essential steps in closing deals effectively.
Contract administrators are typically required to have experience in skills like vendor communication, contract negotiation, analytics evaluation, and project management. Moreover, while contract administrators are not required to have a background in law, they ideally should have a firm understanding of applicable regulations and contracting guidelines.
As sales professionals, category managers are responsible for formulating strategies that enable product categorization. Category managers work directly with sales teams to analyze consumer preferences and market trends. Based on their analyses, they explore ways to boost sales and maximize market opportunities.
It is typically necessary for category managers to have extensive product knowledge. They harness this knowledge when working with sales teams and communicating with clients. Moreover, category management necessitates leadership skills that can assist product and sales teams in navigating techniques associated with sales and marketing.
Not to be confused with procurement managers, procurement operations supervisors oversee procurement teams and their activities. Typically, procurement operations supervisors also have robust systems for managing logistics and inventory.
These professionals are required to analyze and improve various aspects of logistics operations, such as inventory management, completing orders, and shipping products.
Global sourcing analysts are specialists who equip businesses with the resources to bridge gaps between global sourcing functions and supply chains. International sourcing allows companies to leverage benefits such as low-cost labor, timely production processes, and high-volume manufacturing.
The duties of a global sourcing analyst involve managing partnerships with global suppliers, diversifying the sourcing pool, and managing tenders with suppliers to optimize the sourcing process.
E-procurement specialists are responsible for managing the procurement process when done online. This professional focuses on facilitating communication between the company and its suppliers and also optimizes online access to products and services.
With the rise of e-procurement comes a myriad of benefits, including reduced overhead costs, shorter purchasing cycles, and enhanced inventory management.
As the individual in charge, a procurement director is tasked with purchasing supplies, formulating policies, and maintaining partnerships with vendors to improve a company’s efficiency. The duties of a procurement director involve settling supply disputes, managing procurement budgets, reviewing supply quality, and optimizing cost structures.
The role of procurement director requires an organized work style and leadership skills that allow them to oversee the work of procurement teams while handling other aspects of the procurement process. Apart from this, the procurement director is also in charge of creating reports for company superiors.
In the context of procurement, a contract negotiation specialist is in charge of evaluating contract agreements. These specialists focus on negotiating terms with suppliers, settling contract disputes, and drafting contract documents.
Contract negotiation specialists act as mediators for issues or disputes associated with contract management. They typically have specialized expertise in negotiation processes, communication skills, and presentation capabilities.
A procurement coordinator specializes in making sure the procurement process is organized and aligned with the company’s objectives. Their primary duties include contract administration as well as identifying and selecting the right products and services.
A procurement coordinator needs to have robust project management skills as well as multi-tasking skills. Additionally, procurement coordinators streamline purchasing processes and help reduce costs, which effectively also helps them close the best deals.
Direct procurement supervisors manage direct procurement activities and collaborate with key regional business partners to develop sourcing strategies for optimizing costs and negotiations while ensuring a consistent supply from direct and indirect purchasing.
Direct procurement supervisors typically have expertise and knowledge surrounding market trends, spend patterns, cost variations, geopolitical considerations, and more. Furthermore, these professionals can analyze and develop a robust supplier base that will help companies achieve their long-term procurement goals.
With the growing focus on CSR (Corporate Social Governance) policies, the role of sustainable procurement managers has become increasingly prevalent. Sustainable procurement managers are responsible for developing policies that align with environmental standards and climate considerations.
Sustainable procurement managers ensure that procurement teams and suppliers adopt green procurement practices that ensure sustainability within the supply chain and align with ESG policies.
Materials procurement officers are responsible for overall materials management, including monitoring requirements, reporting requests and needs, submitting regular reports on materials stock, and more.
Typically, materials procurement officers are required to have a solid understanding of purchase order systems and detailed estimates, as well as consolidate regular requests from contracts. Furthermore, these professionals must be able to anticipate needed materials for a project and coordinate their duties accordingly.
Procurement consultants advise companies that want to optimize one or all aspects of their procurement process. Specifically, they work closely with companies to identify opportunities for stronger efforts in strategic sourcing, market research, and more.
Procurement consultant capabilities usually include technical skills, risk management and compliance skills, and interpersonal skills. Furthermore, procurement consultants are involved in sourcing optimization, supplier relationship management, and partnership communications.
The primary responsibilities of a supplier relations manager involve building and maintaining positive relationships with suppliers, negotiating contracts, and optimizing delivery times. Their duties necessitate robust supplier relationship management, researching potential suppliers, and reviewing supplier performance data.
“In the first two years after I got my master’s degree, I started as a procurement analyst. In that role, I mainly conducted analyses to make sure that we prepared great negotiation strategies to deal with our suppliers.
When I was working for a major supermarket, I was responsible for preparing negotiation processes while more experienced procurement managers were tasked with the actual negotiation. I analyzed different fronts, such as spend, sales, raw material price development margin, and more. Based on my findings from the available information, I helped procurement managers form their negotiation strategies.
Later, I worked for two years as part of a strategic procurement team. There, I was tasked with the merger of Ahold and Delhaize, two retailers that merged in 2016. I think I can describe my role in that as a procurement program manager as well as a strategic sourcing manager. My main responsibility was to make sure that all our savings targets were achieved for all brand products of the merger.
Becoming a procurement manager became my third role in the field. I was tasked with negotiating with 70 suppliers per year and buying over 1,000 different products, including canned soups, gherkins, and sauces. Those products were coming from Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, so I had to strategize how to get the best deals with our suppliers from all across Europe.
Finally, I became a senior procurement manager, and my responsibilities involved some of the largest and most important deals for the company. My role also involved negotiations, however on a much larger scale. In addition to negotiating with suppliers, I was tasked with formulating and managing procurement processes, drafting contracts, settling disputes with suppliers, and more .”
Marijn OvervestCEO/Founder , Procurement Tactics
Procurement titles highlight the importance of designating specific roles and responsibilities best suited for individual professionals.
This further bolsters the fact that procurement is a multifaceted industry, and its impact on companies and how they handle tasks cannot be overstated. Furthermore, the increase in procurement needs only emphasizes the sheer impact of procurement in navigating modern business and its complexities.
Procurement professionals have specific roles depending on their expertise, the scale of operations, and the type of businesses in which they operate.
Due to the lack of procurement experts in the industry, businesses have to handle more tasks with smaller budgets and scarce numbers of experts.
Procurement managers are responsible for making sure the procurement process meets the company’s needs through strategic planning, in-depth research, effective negotiation, and supplier selection.
My name is Marijn Overvest, I’m the founder of Procurement Tactics. I have a deep passion for procurement, and I’ve upskilled over 200 procurement teams from all over the world. When I’m not working, I love running and cycling.
