Special Offer

Try Betterteam

Post your jobs to 100+ job boards

Post a Job
  • Reach over 250 million candidates.
  • Get candidates in hours, not days.

Purchasing Specialist Job Description Template

We are looking for a motivated purchasing specialist to manage our company's procurement activities. The purchasing specialist's responsibilities include sourcing new suppliers, ensuring that the purchased products and materials meet specific technical specifications, negotiating purchase terms, and evaluating supplier performance. The purchasing specialist will also be responsible for ensuring timely deliveries and resolving any supply issues or discrepancies.

To be successful as a purchasing specialist, you should be able to develop efficient procurement solutions and support senior management with the development and implementation of sourcing strategies. Ultimately, an outstanding purchasing specialist should have excellent communication and negotiation skills, be an analytical thinker, and demonstrate a good working knowledge of purchasing strategies.

Purchasing Specialist Responsibilities:

  • Researching and identifying prospective suppliers.
  • Liaising with internal project teams and maintaining strong supplier relations.
  • Evaluating products and suppliers according to key business criteria.
  • Preparing proposals, requesting quotes, and negotiating purchase terms and conditions.
  • Preparing and issuing purchase orders and agreements.
  • Monitoring supplier performance and resolving issues and concerns.
  • Inspecting and evaluating the quality of purchased items and resolving shortcomings.
  • Analyzing industry and demand trends and supporting senior management with the development and implementation of sourcing strategies.
  • Preparing reports and maintaining accurate inventory and procurement records.
  • Complying with company policies, procedures, and regulatory standards.

Purchasing Specialist Requirements:

  • High school diploma/GED required.
  • 2+ years of experience as a purchasing specialist or in a similar role.
  • Bachelor's degree in business administration, supply chain management, or a similar field preferred.
  • CPM or APICS certification preferred.
  • Good working knowledge of purchasing strategies.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
  • Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and with business application software, purchasing, and resource planning systems.
  • Team player with strong organizational skills.

Related Articles:

Purchasing Manager Job Description

Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a purchasing manager job description.

Purchasing Agent Job Description

Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a purchasing agent job description.

Procurement Officer Job Description

Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a procurement officer job description.

Purchasing Specialist Interview Questions

Top 5 purchasing specialist interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.

Purchasing Manager Interview Questions

Top 5 purchasing manager interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.

Purchasing Agent Interview Questions

Top 5 purchasing agent interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.

Procurement Officer Interview Questions

Top 5 procurement officer interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.