A purchasing manager is responsible for motivating staff to meet goals and to ensure that their performance is at an optimum level in order to maximise profits. Their duties include making decisions about trading issues to ensure that customers’ needs are met
They have the overall responsibility of negotiating key product sets with buyers so that merchandise is purchased according to optimum price, availability and rebate. They need to have good interpersonal skills in order to develop relationships with important suppliers and are required to attend meetings with their suppliers
They work closely with other team members, such as customer service and operations managers. They are responsible for the overall performance of the supply team and are required to schedule regular meetings in order to discuss new initiative and performance with their staff
Candidates need excellent managerial, numeracy and interpersonal skills. They need to be able to work under pressure in order to meet deadlines. Applicants can train through an apprenticeship or complete qualifications through the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS). Salaries are in the range of £48,000 per year.