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Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Purchase products or services.
Execute sales or other financial transactions.
Purchase products or services.
Obtain information about goods or services.
Analyze business or financial data.
Evaluate applicable laws and regulations to determine impact on organizational activities.
Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
Monitor inventories of products or materials.
Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.
Monitor organizational processes.
Maintain data in information systems or databases.
Monitor inventories of products or materials.
Obtain information about goods or services.
Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.
Monitor inventories of products or materials.
Conduct eligibility or selection interviews.
Pay charges, fees, or taxes.
Train personnel to enhance job skills.
Supervise employees.
Develop technical specifications for systems or equipment.
Estimate demand for products or services.
Analyze market conditions or trends.
Establish organizational guidelines or policies.
Develop business relationships.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.
Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.
Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.
Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.
Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.
Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.
Maintain and review computerized or manual records of purchased items, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories.
Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.
Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time, and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.
Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.
Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments.
Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges.
Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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