Careers in Logistics: How to Become a Procurement Specialist

Procurement professionals are responsible for acquiring essential materials, goods and services their particular company or organization requires to function. They’re experts in relationship-building, bargain-hunting, negotiating and collaborating with suppliers.

Procurement roles also work closely with quality control departments to identify not only the materials needed to operate as a business, but the quality standards those materials must meet in order to keep things running smoothly.

What’s the Difference Between a Procurement Specialist, Agent and Purchasing Manager?

As always, there’s some overlap among different procurement-oriented titles*, but generally the term “purchasing agent” refers to those who work for an agency, facilitating the procurement of various materials and goods on behalf of multiple businesses. A procurement specialist typically describes an in-house role tasked with securing goods for just one company.

A “purchasing manager” is almost always a title for a senior procurement specialist with at least five years of experience and responsibilities that support the entire procurement department. Purchasing managers often hire, train and coordinate the work of all other specialists, as well as develop and maintain procurement policies and procedures.

Detailed knowledge of the company’s various procurement needs often makes these senior positions key contributors to major planning and budgeting decisions.

*Industry HR departments really do need to get on the same page; there are at least 40 procurement titles listed on this handy career map.

Procurement Skills and Responsibilities

Like many logistics positions, the procurement specialist role is a mix of soft skills and hard data analysis. It encompasses two main duties:

1. Keeping the company’s available supply stocked. A procurement specialist prepares for market fluctuations by staying in tune with a company’s busy seasons and analyzing external risk factors. The ability to evaluate data and anticipate shifts in consumer buying habits is invaluable.
2. Building and maintaining vendor relationships. Procurement specialists know precisely where to go within their trusted network of suppliers for a specific company need — and how to maintain relationships with said suppliers for a friendlier rate.

Also like many logistics positions, no two days are the same in procurement. One day might be spent writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) while the next could be refining the current vendor onboarding process; it all depends on where they can make the most of their particular skill set.

Here are some examples of additional day-to-day tasks a procurement specialist might perform:

How Is Automation Affecting Procurement Careers?

According to some industry experts, nearly every aspect of sourcing will utilize some form of machine learning or robotic processing automation by 2030. While certainly a bold prediction, there’s evidence to suggest procurement will be among the most impacted facets of logistics as automation becomes commonplace (and more cost-effective).

Automation has already proven adept at streamlining repetitive tasks like data entry, invoicing and purchase order management. But as with quality control and most other logistics career paths, this is more likely to shift procurement’s focus in a more strategic direction rather than render the specialist role redundant.

Coexisting with AI and automation has potential to eliminate procurement’s abundance of busy work (and its associated risk of human error) while freeing up more time for specialists to work alongside suppliers — or vet and onboard new ones — for discounted rates. Additionally, AI could soon support forecasting efforts by skimming historical data for patterns which might better inform a company’s procurement needs.

Becoming a Procurement Specialist: Job Outlook & Requirements

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for buyers and purchasing agents was $71,950 as of May 2023 — a figure that leaps up to $136,380 for purchasing managers given their experience and more expansive responsibilities.

Though overall employment of purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents is projected to decline 6% from 2022 to 2032, roughly 45,000 new job openings are anticipated to become available each year due to current procurement workers retiring or taking new positions in other industries.

Recommended Education & Experience

Most procurement professionals acquire at least a bachelor’s degree, with fields like finance, economics and business administration lending themselves to common procurement responsibilities. Purchasing managers usually have these baseline requirements plus a few years of hands-on experience.

On the technical side, strong problem-solving skills are essential — logistics is an industry of constant change and unexpected hurdles. The ability to navigate digital systems, familiarity with data analysis tools and experience with procurement software will aid in the process of working out a business’ best possible procurement deals.

Specialists also need strong people skills in order to put this problem-solving acumen into action. Persuading a supplier to trust in the long term value of a partnership with your company takes a softer touch, which is why most employers will only elevate specialists to purchasing manager rank after 2-3 years of procurement experience and a proven track record of developing vendor relationships.

Careers in Procurement

Procurement will always play a significant role in a business’ financial well-being. A procurement specialist impacts the entire span of the supply chain, forming supplier relationships on the back-end to acquire quality materials at friendly rates and delivering customers fully-stocked, high-quality products.

Looking to land a job in quality control or further your current logistics career? Check out our careers page for details on working with First Call, and don’t miss hearing directly from the FCL team in our Q&A Series!