Overview

Procurement specialists specialize in finding goods or services for a business at a good price and meets the needs of the business.

What responsibilities will I have?

• Work across business units to plan and prioritize purchasing activities
• Review planned orders, create requisitions for purchased items, and manage approval process
• Transmit and prioritize approved purchase orders to the chosen supplier
• Track order acknowledgements, prepare and communicate shortage and back order reports
• Ensure that if there is a potential for a shortage or interruption in supplies that the affected parties are notified for planning purposes
• Track orders and confirm delivery dates and costs
• Review, update, and maintain purchase orders until they are fully completed
• Ensure orders adhere to supplier agreements and contracts
• Negotiate contracts, agreements and pricing with suppliers
• Handle occurrences when contracts or agreements are not kept
• Lead finance and logistics staff in resolving reception and invoice discrepancies
• Identify opportunities and implement actions to achieve efficiencies
• Contribute to consolidation, reduction, and rationalization of the local supplier base
• Build strong relationships with suppliers

What education and training is required?

A bachelor’s degree can get you an entry level procurement job. It is also recommended that you obtain a Certified Procurement Professional (CPP®) certification.

To pursue a career as procurement specialist:

The following high school courses are recommended:  agricultural education, business courses, computer courses, statistics, and mathematics. 

Where can I work?

A wide variety of agricultural companies employ procurement specialist to purchase ingredients and supplies including; seed and chemical companies, food production companies, animal production companies, and grain marketing firms.

Future Job Market / Outlook

The future outlook for a procurement specialist will be good over the next five years. 

Suggested Professional Organizations and Associations

• American Purchasing Society
• Association of Certified Procurement and Operations Professionals
• Institute for Supply Management