standalone public buyertopurchasing manager
A standalone public buyer already meets 21% of what the purchasing manager role asks for. The move turns on 21 required skills not yet in the profile.
21%
81.4/ 100
1 Share of the purchasing manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the standalone public buyer profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.
Why this move works
A purchasing manager role treats 4 of its required skills as things a standalone public buyer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.
- maintain relationship with suppliers
- manage contracts
- negotiate buying conditions
- supplier management
What stands in the way is 21 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 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A purchasing manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a standalone public buyer background worth leading with.
- already held category specific expertise business, administration and law
- already held manage procurement planning management skills
- 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
All 13 carried skills, including the 4 the purchasing manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 40 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.
- required, not held analyse supply chain trends required
- required, not held assess supplier risks required
- required, not held analyse logistic changes required
- required, not held analyse supply chain strategies required
- required, not held estimate costs of required supplies required
- required, not held study sales levels of products required
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held track price trends optional
- optional, not held analyse consumer buying trends optional
- optional, not held calculate purchasing levels of raw materials optional
- optional, not held carry out statistical forecasts optional
- optional, not held maintain contract administration optional
- required, not held issue sales invoices required
- required, not held manage inventory required
- required, not held identify suppliers required
- required, not held manage budgets required
- required, not held strive for company growth required
- optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
- optional, not held manage rented goods returns optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held manage supplies optional
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- required, not held coordinate purchasing activities required
- required, not held maintain relationship with customers required
- required, not held negotiate sales contracts required
- required, not held liaise with managers required
- required, not held order supplies required
- optional, not held advise on sustainable management policies optional
- optional, not held attend trade fairs optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- required, not held corporate social responsibility required
- required, not held quality standards required
- required, not held supply chain management required
- required, not held supply chain principles required
- optional, not held market pricing optional
- optional, not held pricing strategies optional
- optional, not held risk management optional
- required, not held follow company standards required
- optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a purchasing manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 analyse supply chain trends skill · sector specific
- 02 assess supplier risks skill · sector specific
- 03 coordinate purchasing activities skill · sector specific
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 13 skills that carry over
- already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- already held manage contracts skill
- already held negotiate buying conditions skill
- already held supplier management knowledge
- 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 international business knowledge
- already held manage procurement planning skill
- already held perform procurement market analysis skill
- already held procurement legislation knowledge
- already held procurement lifecycle knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held use e-procurement optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held market pricing optional
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held track price trends optional
- optional, not held use e-procurement optional
- optional, not held advise on sustainable management policies optional
- optional, not held analyse consumer buying trends optional
- optional, not held attend trade fairs optional
- optional, not held calculate purchasing levels of raw materials optional
- optional, not held carry out statistical forecasts optional
- optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
- optional, not held maintain contract administration optional
- optional, not held manage rented goods returns optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held manage supplies optional
- optional, not held pricing strategies optional
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- optional, not held risk management optional
- optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
31 held skills the purchasing manager 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 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 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 supplier arrangements 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 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
8 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- required, not held corporate social responsibility required
- required, not held quality standards required
- required, not held supply chain management required
- required, not held supply chain principles required
- optional, not held market pricing optional
- optional, not held pricing strategies optional
- optional, not held risk management optional
- optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
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.