Public procurement specialist to purchaser
A public procurement specialist already meets 18% of what the purchaser role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.
80.1/ 100
1 How much of what a purchaser is expected to do is already part of a public procurement specialist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the purchaser role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A purchaser role treats 2 of its required skills as things a public procurement specialist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- maintain relationship with suppliers
- manage contracts
What stands in the way is 18 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A purchaser role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a public procurement specialist background worth leading with.
- already held category specific expertise business, administration and law
- already held perform procurement market analysis information skills
- already held assess procurement needs communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held implement sustainable procurement communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held procurement lifecycle business, administration and law
- already held implement procurement of innovation communication, collaboration and creativity
All 10 carried skills, including the 2 the purchaser role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 27 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn communicate price changes required
- still to learn coordinate purchasing activities required
- still to learn maintain relationship with customers required
- still to learn manage purchasing cycle required
- still to learn compare contractors' bids required
- still to learn perform procurement processes required
- still to learn speak different languages required
- optional, not held negotiate sales contracts optional
- still to learn embargo regulations required
- still to learn international import export regulations required
- still to learn export control principles required
- still to learn supply chain management required
- optional, not held international business optional
- still to learn issue purchase orders required
- still to learn identify suppliers required
- still to learn manage tender processes required
- optional, not held conduct performance measurement optional
- optional, not held identify new business opportunities optional
- still to learn assess supplier risks required
- still to learn track price trends required
- optional, not held analyse logistic needs optional
- optional, not held report accounts of the professional activity optional
- optional, not held analyse consumer buying trends optional
- optional, not held analyse logistic changes optional
- optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
- still to learn ensure compliance with purchasing and contracting regulations required
- still to learn have computer literacy required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a purchaser role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 assess supplier risks practise this
- 02 communicate price changes practise this
- 03 coordinate purchasing activities practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 10 skills that carry over
- already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- already held manage contracts skill
- already held assess procurement needs skill
- already held category specific expertise knowledge
- already held implement procurement of innovation skill
- already held implement sustainable procurement skill
- already held perform procurement market analysis skill
- already held procurement legislation knowledge
- already held procurement lifecycle knowledge
- already held use e-procurement skill
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held analyse logistic needs optional
- optional, not held negotiate sales contracts optional
- optional, not held report accounts of the professional activity optional
- optional, not held analyse consumer buying trends optional
- optional, not held analyse logistic changes optional
- optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
- optional, not held conduct performance measurement optional
- optional, not held identify new business opportunities optional
- optional, not held international business optional
37 held skills the purchaser role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to changing situations skill
- not needed by the target role address problems critically skill
- not needed by the target role adhere to organisational code of ethics skill
- not needed by the target role adhere to organisational guidelines skill
- not needed by the target role apply certification and payment procedures skill
- not needed by the target role apply change management skill
- not needed by the target role communication principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role cooperate with colleagues skill
- not needed by the target role create a work atmosphere of continuous improvement skill
- not needed by the target role develop performance orientation in public administration skill
- not needed by the target role develop procurement strategy skill
- not needed by the target role draft procurement technical specifications skill
- not needed by the target role draft tender documentation skill
- not needed by the target role e-procurement knowledge
- not needed by the target role evaluate tender skill
- not needed by the target role implement risk management in procurement skill
- not needed by the target role keep up-to-date with regulations skill
- not needed by the target role leadership principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage a team skill
- not needed by the target role manage contract disputes skill
- not needed by the target role manage procurement planning skill
- not needed by the target role manage relationships with stakeholders skill
- not needed by the target role monitor developments in field of expertise skill
- not needed by the target role morality knowledge
- not needed by the target role negotiate buying conditions skill
- not needed by the target role negotiate improvement with suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role negotiate terms with suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role organisational structure knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform contract reporting and evaluation skill
- not needed by the target role project management principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role public administration knowledge
- not needed by the target role quantity surveying knowledge
- not needed by the target role supplier management knowledge
- not needed by the target role team building knowledge
- not needed by the target role teamwork principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role use communication techniques skill
- not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn embargo regulations required
- still to learn international import export regulations required
- still to learn export control principles required
- still to learn supply chain management required
- optional, not held international business optional
Other moves recorded from public procurement specialist
Common questions about this move
Can a public procurement specialist become a purchaser?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A public procurement specialist already covers 18% of what a purchaser is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 2 of which the purchaser role treats as required.
What skills does a public procurement specialist need to become a purchaser?
18 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is assess supplier risks.
How hard is the move from public procurement specialist to purchaser?
Its learning distance is 80.1 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.