Index
Intro
Purchasing agents and officers purchase general and specialized equipment, materials, land or access rights and business services for use or for further processing by their establishment. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.
Progression to managerial positions is possible with experience.
Main Duties
Purchasing agents and officers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Purchase general and specialized equipment, materials, land or access rights, or business services for use or for further processing by their establishment
- Assess requirements of an establishment and develop specifications for equipment, materials and supplies to be purchased
- Invite tenders, consult with suppliers and review quotations
- Determine or negotiate contract terms and conditions, award supplier contracts or recommend contract awards
- Establish logistics of delivery schedules, monitor progress and contact clients and suppliers to resolve problems
- Negotiate land acquisition or access rights for public or private use, and may conduct field investigations of properties
- May hire, train or supervise purchasing clerks.
Purchasing agents and officers may specialize in the purchase of particular materials or business services such as furniture or office equipment.
Employment Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree or college diploma in business administration, commerce or economics is usually required.
- Purchasing agents and officers purchasing specialized materials or business services may require a related university degree or college diploma. For example, a bachelor’s degree or college diploma in engineering may be required for purchasers of industrial products.
- A certificate in purchasing from the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) may be required.
- Previous experience as a purchasing clerk or as an administrative clerk may be required.
- Certification from the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) may be required.
All Titles
- advertising buyer
- agent, right-of-way
- analyst, purchasing contracts
- business services purchasing officer
- buyer – manufacturing and processing
- buyer – purchasing
- buyer, advertising
- buyer, media time and space
- contract claims examiner
- contract management officer
- contract negotiator
- contracts officer
- energy asset joint venture representative
- energy asset surface land analyst
- estimator, media
- furniture and furnishings purchaser
- government supply officer
- grain buyer
- hotel purchasing agent
- hotel purchasing officer
- land agent
- land negotiator
- landman/woman – oil and gaslandman – oil and gas, landwoman – oil and gas
- material purchasing officer
- materials co-ordinator
- materiel management officer
- media buyer
- media estimator
- media time and space buyer
- mineral land contracts analyst
- negotiator, purchasing contracts
- office equipment purchasing officer
- officer, contract management
- ore buyer
- passenger and freight rates analyst
- petroleum land administrator
- procurement officer
- products administrator
- pulpwood buyer
- purchaser
- purchaser, furniture and furnishings
- purchasing agent
- purchasing contracts administrator
- purchasing contracts analyst
- purchasing contracts management officer
- purchasing contracts negotiator
- purchasing contracts officer
- purchasing officer
- purchasing supervisor
- purchasing-services contracts negotiator
- radio time buyer
- restaurant purchasing agent
- restaurant purchasing officer
- right-of-way agent
- senior buyer – purchasing
- services contracts negotiator
- stewardship officer
- storage purchasing co-ordinator
- supervisor, purchasing
- supply chain specialist – procurement
- supply officer, government
- television time buyer
- well and facilities asset analyst
Exclusions
- Purchasing and inventory control workers (1524)
- Purchasing managers (0113)
- Retail and wholesale buyers (6222)