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Date: 04/26/2025

Purchasing Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.
    • Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.
    • Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
    • Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
    • Arrange for disposal of surplus materials.
    • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
    • Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
    • Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.
    • Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
    • Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
    • Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
    • Represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.
    • Administer online purchasing systems.
    • Maintain records of goods ordered and received.
    • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
    • Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
    • Prepare reports regarding market conditions and merchandise costs.
    • Control purchasing department budgets.
    • Analyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability.
    • Analyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability.
    • Resolve vendor or contractor grievances and claims against suppliers.
    • Participate in the development of specifications for equipment, products, or substitute materials.
    • Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
    • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
    • Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
    • Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.

    Skills

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    Knowledge

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 128500/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 61.78/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 2,460
    • Yearly Projected Openings 180

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Desktop calculator
    • Desktop computers
    • Personal computers

    Technology

    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Data base reporting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Internet browser software
    • Inventory management software
    • Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
    • Office suite software
    • Point of sale POS software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Procurement software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

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