The purchasing department of a company currently has, in an environment of economic crisis, a fundamental role in maintaining the economic balance of the company. Within that purchasing department, the maximum responsible is the purchasing manager or director.
What specifically do purchasing managers do? Purchasing managers are in charge of buying all those goods that the company needs either for resale or for the use by the company. You have to buy these goods at the best price but without affecting the quality. It has its share of responsibility in making the company increasingly competitive.
In addition, a purchasing manager must ensure that a company's supply chain is fluid, agile, and effective. Communication between departments must be constant and transparent.
The presence of the purchasing manager is essential in larger companies, for small businesses a single buyer may be sufficient, who would assume the functions of a purchasing manager. Buyers in charge of acquiring the raw material for the elaboration of their products or those supplies necessary for the operation of the company.
So far we have talked about the acquisition of material goods in this supply chain, but it must be borne in mind that the purchase of services such as transportation or marketing also occurs, and not only the purchase of inputs or raw materials.
In this way, a purchasing manager is in charge of purchasing more strategic or important products and services for the company and also supervises the other purchases made by other buyers. It is precisely for this reason that the difference between a buyer, a purchasing agent or a purchasing manager lies specifically in the industry (or product family) in which they work and not in the tasks and responsibilities that are very similar. In fact, anyone who is a purchasing specialist and works for the government is called interchangeably director, manager or buyer. The field of work for these professionals is very wide and covers each area of the public and private sectors.
The level of training for purchasing managers varies, however larger companies require professionals with a university degree in business or engineers. Beyond academic preparation, those interested usually go through a training period in their companies according to each industry.
Some of the characteristics that a good purchasing manager has is knowing how to have a clear mind for planning and quick decision-making, as well as knowing how to negotiate with suppliers and being able to manage a team effectively. The average salary of purchasing managers is approximately 54,000 Euros a year, with the lowest salary being 31,000 Euros and the highest being 90,000 Euros.
