Procurement Career Paths

Job Title: Direct Procurement Specialist

Location: [Insert location]

Reports to: [Insert name and title of supervisor]

A direct procurement specialist is responsible for procuring goods and services for the company that drives profit. They locate key suppliers, look for quality goods and services that meet company specifications, and negotiate a company’s purchasing agreements among others.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Procures goods and services that meet the organization’s requirements.
• Evaluates and negotiates supplier contracts.
• Track inventory and restock goods whenever needed.
• Stays up to date on industry trends, new products, supplier information, etc.
• Compare available goods with market trends and determine the right pricing.
• Conducting market research to find supplier options compatible with company needs while saving on costs.
• Conducting cost analysis.
• Coordinating and communicating with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Managing and keeping track of shipment, delivery, and fulfillment.
• Managing supplier relationships and acting as the agent between buyer and supplier.

KPIs for this role

• Compliance Rate: When suppliers fulfill all their contractual requirements.
• Number of Suppliers: Level of dependence on each supplier.
• Purchase Order Cycle Time: The average time it takes for the purchase order process.
• Supplier Quality Rating: Determine supplier quality and supplier benefits for future partnerships.
• Supplier Defect Rate: Evaluate individual supplier quality based on defect rate.
• Vendor Rejection Rate & Costs: Examine vendor management strategies.
• Emergency Purchase Ratio: Rate of emergency purchases for company inventory.
• Purchases In Time & Budget: Monitor time and budget costs and ensure that it falls within the organization’s budget.
• Procurement Cost Reduction: Tangible cost savings from strategic procurement decisions.
• Procurement Cost Avoidance: The avoidance of cost for future procurement processes and decisions because of strategic planning and data analysis.
• Spend Under Management: Track and optimize procurement spend.
• Procurement ROI: Determine the profitability of procurement investments.

Key Skills and Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, supply chain management, or related field.
• At least 2 years of work experience as a Procurement Specialist or similar role.
• Up-to-date knowledge of procurement strategies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Analytical thinking and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software and other procurement softwares and applications.

• Procures goods and services that meet the organization’s requirements.
• Evaluates and negotiates supplier contracts.
• Track inventory and restock goods whenever needed.
• Stays up to date on industry trends, new products, supplier information, etc.
• Compare available goods with market trends and determine the right pricing.
• Conducting market research to find supplier options compatible with company needs while saving on costs.
• Conducting cost analysis.
• Coordinating and communicating with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Managing and keeping track of shipment, delivery, and fulfillment.
• Managing supplier relationships and acting as the agent between buyer and supplier.

• Communication and collaboration: Collaboration between other departments and communicate with them along with suppliers.
• Financial skills: Knowledge in economics and the management of dinances.
• Research skills: Gathering any and all up-to-date information relevant to the industry and procurement practices.
• Negotiation Skills: Ability to negotiate with suppliers to have the best possible deals and contract advantages.
• Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating risks in the company’s procurement processes.
• Analytical Skills: Ability for data analysis to make informed procurement decisions.
• Inventory Management: Managing stock inventory, ensuring stock availability, and keeping track of inventory data.
• Project Management: Ability to manage procurement projects and efficiently see them through from start to finish.
• Digital Aptitude: Proficiency in using digital tools and technologies in procurement.
• Forecasting: Ability to forecast relevant market trends, industry changes, etc. from available data.

• Compliance Rate: When suppliers fulfill all their contractual requirements.
• Number of Suppliers: Level of dependence on each supplier.
• Purchase Order Cycle Time: The average time it takes for the purchase order process.
• Supplier Quality Rating: Determine supplier quality and supplier benefits for future partnerships.
• Supplier Defect Rate: Evaluate individual supplier quality based on defect rate.
• Vendor Rejection Rate & Costs: Examine vendor management strategies.
• Emergency Purchase Ratio: Rate of emergency purchases for company inventory.
• Purchases In Time & Budget: Monitor time and budget costs and ensure that it falls within the organization’s budget.
• Procurement Cost Reduction: Tangible cost savings from strategic procurement decisions.
• Procurement Cost Avoidance: The avoidance of cost for future procurement processes and decisions because of strategic planning and data analysis.
• Spend Under Management: Track and optimize procurement spend.
• Procurement ROI: Determine the profitability of procurement investments.