INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Procurement Manager positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 189,300 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 10,000 to 199,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Procurement Manager jobs was $108,790 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $67,100, and the highest 10% more than $181,220.
Our conclusion? The Procurement Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top procurement manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Things to remember when writing your Procurement Manager experience section
Procurement manager experience section checklist:
- Keep it short: use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep recruiters engaged;
- Focus on relevant job experience that will enhance your application;
- Describe your experience using the C-A-R (challenge, action, result) methodology;
- Ditch buzzwords and go for power words instead.
To illustrate it more clearly, we’ve collected some of the best experience section examples from real Procurement Manager resumes. Check them out below!
Work Experience
ASSISTANT PROCUREMENT MANAGER/LOGISTICS
Epic Adventure Inc
2017-2021
Working as a assistant procurement manager
Responsible for making purchase order &stay updated with all suppliers regarding raw materials to receive from them
Accountable for arranging logistic requirement of any purchase
Responsible for analyzing the stock available for better inventory management
Taking quotations from shipping lines/forwarder & identifying economical transport for logistics purpose
Based on the requirement against production of Lubricants/grease arranging quotation from local/international supplier & report to line manager
Make sure all the queries related to supplies are well recorded & maintained to avoid delays in production
Responsible for conducting monthly meeting with store incharge for better inventory management
To find best service providing/spare part companies for machine maintenance with economical & reasonable pricing
Make sure all the documents are well maintained according to ISO standards
Work Experience
Asst. Procurement Manager
DuBuque, Conroy and Durgan
2017-2021
Checking of requisitions / Purchase indents for correctness and contents for information required for Procurement.
Prioritizing important material indents as per user requirement & Process them at the eariest.
Analyzing Quotations and bids based on the esquires received from the various vendors.
Negotiate and recommend execution of purchase or service contracts for the further process.
Discourage uniform bidding and endeavor to obtain full and open competition as possible on all purchases.
Prepare and recommendations made to the manager & concerned department for further approval as per the purchase policy.
Prepare and issue Purchase orders in accordance with company policy and negotiated terms and conditions.
Procure materials, services and equipment through indigenous and foreign sources as required in accordance with the procurement policies and procedure laid out by the company.
Track all Purchasing activity to ensure timely delivery and submit a monthly performance report.
Conduct Purchase Price Variance Analysis report on quarterly basis.
Work Experience
Bid Procurement Manager
Schmeler and Sons
2018-2020
Procurement responsible for bids in Region Nordics and Russia
Leading initiative of integrating old legacy BT bid tools landscape to Alstom tools and process for tenders
Part of integratal bid team towards winning contracts for customers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Russia
Work Experience
Bid Procurement Manager
Flux
2020-2022
Finding alternate suppliers needed in production to meet tender localization requirements, with up to 30% lower prices, and directly influencing to win contracts
Negotiated sensitive procurement contracts focusing on new business, profit margins and exceeded sales by 12% within 12 months
Closed deals for variety of scopes with 20-50% profit margin
Contributed in winning bids in markets such as Sweden, UK, Zambia and Latvia with contract values more than 500M Euros in year 2019 and 2020
Work Experience
Platform Procurement Manager
Movie Intense
2011-2018
Implemented strategies to reduce total cost of ownership per product for both onboard and wayside signalling.
Ensuring platform strategies are in line across different regions to achieve standardisation in product portfolios.
Collaborating with cross-fuctional teams of project buyers and engineers on benchmarking costs for projects.
Working with global commodity buyers to align on global supplier base, updated GTCs and negotiated price lists.
Work Experience
Business Unit & Procurement Manager
Schmeler LLC
2015-2017
Managing & supervising daily office procedures (e.a. administration, finance, procurement, facility, HR) in a team of 5 expats.
Procurement activities: RFQ, evaluation of offers, PO, negotiations, assigning tasks reviewing delegated POs, coaching colleagues.
Supplier Relations, Strategic Sourcing, Logistics.
By focussing on the root cause I successfully managed to decrease tensions with a key supplier who finished their obligations in time.
My focus on improving supplier relations increased connections with suppliers, expanded the number of them & increased our reputation.
Work Experience
Procurement Manager
Hessel - Ruecker
2020-2022
Procuring complex projects (pipelines, refinery plant development, area development, chemical consultancy) and coordinating with project teams around the world.
Coaching the contracting section in effective communication with stakeholders.
Seeking & implementing creative solutions in resolving contract management related issues and/or administrative processes problems
Participated in contract process update project.
Work Experience
Category Procurement Manager EMEA Logistics & Distribution and Travel Retail global.
Moxie Marketing
2021-2022
Air Freight EMEA tender resulting in 38% cost savings (17M$), introduction of two new suppliers increasing the capacity and lead time improvement of 1 day overall.
Contract framework redesign and online contract repository implementation.
Redefinition of E-commerce distribution and BCP for fulfilment activities to catch up with recent booming of the online business.
Fully automated Travel Retail Distribution center design and make vs buy analysis for the APAC region.
SRM program implementation including standardized scorecards and cadenced QBRs.
Supporting the implementation of a full scope Transport Management System globally.
Constantly analysing cross functional data to seek for opportunities and support the global indirect procurement strategy.
Work Experience
Category Procurement Manager EMEA Logistics & Secondary Packaging - 55 sites
Bravura Origin
2017-2021
4PL tender resulting in 98% OTD service commitment, 5 Million € hard savings, 13 Million € cash benefit with payment terms increase.
Yearly global sea freight tender cross Business Group resulting in a selection of preferred suppliers and 3-5 % savings YoY.
Development of a standardization strategy in secondary packaging to harmonize processes and specifications, leveraging suppliers and spend.
Continuous improvement projects in Logistics and secondary packaging: double stacking, load optimization generating +1M € savings YoY.
Launched a first external warehouse footprint optimisation project in Europe with the aim of simplifying +60 facilities.
Work Experience
Procurement Manager
Hermiston LLC
2011-2018
Managed general logistics and oversaw the successful completion of 2 mega dams , 22 water pans and 55 boreholes.
Tracked order acknowledgement, prepared and communicated shortage and backlog reports, and provided visibility of potential interruptions to internal customers.
Achieved a cost reduction of over 20% annually and successfully resolved over 30 client-organization disputes.
Trained over 50 procurement associates and developed solid Procurement Frameworks and strategies.
Work Experience
Procurement Manager
Metz - McCullough
2015-2017
Working as part of a team of six in the fast paced Corporate & Capital Procurement team, managing the procurement for a range of goods and services with a total spend of £120m, and a personal Cost Improvement Plan objective of £250k
Leading on up to 10 projects in parallel with deliverables for specialist departments, working with cross-functional teams to ensure deadlines, savings targets, budgets and quality standards are met
Leading on end to end tender processes and adapting with shifting priorities for contracts up to the value of £5m
Regularly meeting with senior stakeholders to evaluate business requirements, identify opportunities for improvement and provide strategic procurement knowledge and guidance
Comfortably challenging decisions to achieve results that meet both organisational policies and stakeholder requirements and balance cost and quality requirements
Developing a knowledge of varied and complex categories at pace
Managing relationships with suppliers and negotiating to improve both the quality and cost of the services and goods received
Running data analysis and supplier and market assessments to identify risk and leverage opportunities
Developing a lean approach to internal practices, streamlining the activities of my immediate and wider corporate services team, reducing process steps by up to 50%
Line management of 3 team members, responsible for their training, development and performance
Work Experience
Procurement Manager
Admire Arts
2017-2018
Working as part of a team of six in the fast paced Corporate & Capital Procurement team, managing the procurement for a range of goods and services with a total spend of £120m (FY19) saving total of over £250k (% of £120m?) for the year by a range of cost saving activities including RFQ's, contractual negotiations, contractual extensions, mini-competitions and tenders. My largest saving was from running a complex XXX for XXX department. Renewing xxxx for xxxx resulting in a saving of xxx over the course of the contract. This saving was made up with a 60% reduction in Exec
Outplacement and 35% reduction in General Outplacement.
Leading on up to 10 projects in parallel with deliverables for specialist departments, working with cross-functional teams to ensure deadlines, savings targets, budgets and quality standards are met
Leading on end to end tender processes and adapting with shifting priorities for contracts up to the value of £5m
Interacting regularly with with Directors, General Managers and above to discuss and understand business priorities and requirements, identify opportunities for improvement and provide strategic procurement knowledge and guidance
Comfortably challenging decisions to achieve results that meet both organisational policies and stakeholder requirements and balance cost and quality requirements
Developing a knowledge of varied and complex categories at pace
Managing relationships with suppliers and negotiating to improve both the quality and cost of the services and goods received
Running data analysis and supplier and market assessments to identify risk and leverage opportunities
Developing a lean approach to internal practices, streamlining the activities of my immediate and wider corporate services team, reducing process steps by up to 50%
Line management of 3 team members, responsible for their training, development and performance
Work Experience
Procurement Manager - Corporate & Clinical Services
Admire Arts
2019-2021
Working in a team of six in the fast paced Corporate & Capital Procurement team, managing a total spend of £120m
Leading on up to 10 projects in parallel, with deliverables for senior executives from cross-functional teams, comfortably challenging decisions to achieve compliant results for both organisational SFI's and EU Legislation
Delivering an urgent equipment replacement plan of £10m, within 5 months, involving more than 180 business requirements
Regularly meeting with senior stakeholders from specialist departments, evaluating business requirements to identify opportunities to more efficiently meet their needs and deliver on cost improvement plans of £1m per annum
Leading on end to end tender processes for contracts in excess of £1m, adapting with shifting priorities to meet deadlines
Developing a varied category knowledge and managing relationships with suppliers to negotiate and challenge proposals and improve the quality of both the services and goods received
Negotiating contracts to reduce costs, previously achieving a saving of £600k in a one year contract extension
Identifying opportunities to develop a 'lean' approach to the internal Procurement processes, streamlining the activities of myself and the team, and reducing process steps by up to 50%
Line management of 3 team members, responsible for their training, development and performance
Work Experience
Aerostructure Procurement Manager for the Commodity “Shells and Panels”
Cipher Publishing
2017-2021
In charge of Long Range contracts with Premium Aerotec GmbH (turnover of more than 215 millions of Dollars in 2013)
And then in charge of A400M contracts with Premium Aerotec GmbH (turnover of 36 millions of Dollars in 2014)
Multi-function Team Leader
Project Leader for “Reshape Industrial Footprint project“ (LR Section 14 Transfer of Work)
Work Experience
Global IT procurement manager
Flux
2016-2017
Leading an international procurement team
Global governance of the daily orders, renewals, contracts
Direct Vendor relations
RFP orchestrating
Supporting the product house heads, ITBPs, IT managers, Cluster Heads
New site implementations
Audit supports (ISO, PCI, Finnacial internal and external)
Work Experience
IT Procurement manager
Miller - Windler
2015-2019
Distribution management, forecasting
Contract handling
2Tier ordering end to end, from distribution partners
New sourcing Partner hunting
Work Experience
Global Strategic Procurement Manager
Bravura Origin
2009-2014
Developing and leading procurement strategy on different commodities for main Constellium locations (US, France, Switzerland, Germany and Czech Republic).
Lead local procurement teams to perform aggressive cost reduction targets.
Align procurement strategy with Company Senior Management as with main stakeholders.
Leverage Spend, Consolidate number of vendors, Develop relationship with preferred suppliers.
Work Experience
IT Development & Procurement Manager
DuBuque, Conroy and Durgan
2015-2019
working closely with key major stakeholders ensuring the long term vision is incorporated in the cooperation with suppliers
procuring/negotiating with suppliers
maintaining TCO and identifying new areas of opportunities
developing tools/processes
Work Experience
Wire and Cable Inventory & Procurement Manager
Strat Security
2018-2020
Inventory optimization for Wire & Cable and Wiring Devices
for Nedco and Westburne + the Rexel's warehouses in Ontario and Mid-West
Out of 30 applicants, one of only 5 trainees offered a contract after articles
Managing a team of 2 individuals (will be 3 in Q2 2020) – 1 expeditor and 1 inventory planner
Work Experience
Junior Procurement Manager
Miller - Windler
2020-2022
Monitoring and analyzing the market in order to find the most favorable supplier.
Evaluating suppliers and updating supplier database.
Collecting bids and submitting bid analysis for inspection and approval.
Negotiating and contracting of goods and services, timely placing purchase orders and monitoring the delivery of goods (quantity and quality).
Issuing reclamation and making reports on irregularities.
Participation in the creation and implementation of contracts.
Providing monthly reports to superiors.
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Procurement Manager resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action verbs for your procurement manager resume
We went through the top Procurement Manager resumes and selected some of the top power words that successful applicants have used to spice up their resumes. Use them to make your application stand out!
Read The Guide
Recommended reads:
- Resume Without Work Experience: 6+ Sections to Demonstrate Impact
- Lying On A Resume: Here's What It Can Cost You
The Best Way to Write Your Procurement Manager Resume’s Skills Section
Procurement manager resume: skills section checklist
- Scan the job advert for keywords worth including in your resume;
- List both hard and transferable skills;
- Leave room for discussion: include some of your skills in other sections of your resume;
- Focus on skills that prove your expertise and leave the irrelevant ones behind.
Top skills for your procurement manager resume
HARD SKILLS
Digital Fluency
Microsoft Office
Program Manufacturing Devices
Machining
Fabricating
SOFT SKILLS
Communication
Attention to details
Caution
Organisation
Punctuality
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
- 24 Important Soft Skills And How The Employers Like To See Them Оn Your Resume
Procurement manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your procurement manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads.":
- Should You Include An Address on Your Resume?
- How to Put LinkedIn On Your Resume
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Procurement Manager resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Writing a strong procurement manager resume summary
Procurement manager resume summary checklist:
- Mention your position and total years of experience in the field;
- Highlight 1-2 of your top achievements;
- Go for shorter sentences and keep them to the point – don’t include anything that doesn’t support your application;
- Add 2-4 keywords present in the job description.
Resume Summary Formula:
Resume Summary Formula: [Adjective] [job title] with [number] years of experience in [industry], a proven ability to [relevant, measurable skills], and a strong background in [relevant context of your work experience] seeks a position as [the job title you’re applying for].
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Procurement Manager experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
- How To Write An Effective Resume Profile (With Examples)
Adding education, courses, and certifications to your procurement manager resume
Education section tips and tricks:
- Add info about your highest degree level, incl. year of graduation, place of study, and degree subject;
- Mention some education-related awards you’ve received;
- Share a bit more about your certifications (if they are relevant);
- Entry-level applicants: Tailor your education section by including classes that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Top certifications for your procurement manager resume
Procurement Management
An Ultimate Guide to Procurement / Purchase Management for Managers, Engineers, Entrepreneurs and Students
RISK MANAGEMENT for Supply Chain and Procurement specialists
Tools and methods used by the world class procurement companies and supply chain managers to get rid of RISK MANAGEMENT
Four Steps to Future Procurement: become Procurement expert!
Proven Practices for Procurement: from Beginner to Professional
Procurement & Supply Planning tools and techniques.
Learn how to Make purchasing strategies ,MRP, forecast, inventory policies and techniques to minimize supply costs.
Procurement Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Purchase To Pay
Gain expert-level knowledge of world-class operational procurement with this comprehensive overview.
Recommended reads:
- When You Should (And Not) Add Dean's List On Your Resume
- Perfecting the Education Section on Your Resume
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
The best format for your procurement manager resume
Choosing the right format for your resume might seem difficult, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a master. In short, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The choice you make depends on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for.
The reverse-chronological resume format is great for you if you have at least 10 years of experience, no employment gaps, and are not looking for a career change. Here, you are expected to list all your previous jobs in a reverse-chronological format, starting from your most recent position and going back to the oldest one. It’s perfect for experienced individuals who are looking for a straightforward way to highlight their expertise.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is great for recent graduates or professionals with large employment gaps. It focuses on skills and education, rather than experience. This makes it ideal for showing you’re the right fit without putting too much emphasis on your lack of (relevant) experience.
If you’re looking for something a bit more creative, go for the combination resume format. It’s a mix of the reverse-chronological and the functional skills-based formats, which makes it ideal for all types of applicants. What’s more, it’s considered modern and innovative, and isn’t this what you want your application to feel like anyway?
After choosing the right format for your Procurement Manager resume, it’s time to perfect the layout and style.
- Go for traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Choose a simple resume font, sized 10-12p;
- Make sure that the length of your resume matches your applicant profile: try to fit in a one-page template; two-page templateare suitable only for candidates with over 10 years of experience.
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid issues around formatting and unauthorized editing.
Looking for more ways to make your application stand out? Read this article!
Recommended reads:
- Parts of a Job-Winning Resume: How to Choose Resume Elements
- Resume Sections: Everything You Need to Know
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Procurement Manager resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company, your position, and your general desire to experiment and showcase your creative side, you might want to add some additional sections to your resume. Some examples include:
- Projects
- Publications
- References
- Hobbies and interests
- Language skills
- Volunteer work
- Highlights
- Awards
Creating a memorable procurement manager resume
You want your resume to put you in front of other candidates even when the competition is high, right? Right!
One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a drop or two of creativity. You can choose a colorful and out-of-the-box template, or maybe even put a ‘what my typical days look like’ section at the bottom of your resume
It’s totally up to you. Just make sure to match the level of creativity to the industry, the position, and the company.
What makes a great procurement manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
The article delves into various facets of the role of a Procurement Manager, including industry statistics, resume sections, and essential skills. I've gathered details on each concept discussed:
Industry Stats:
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes a 5% growth rate for Procurement Manager positions, slower than the average, with 189,300 jobs in 2020 and a projected increase to 199,300 by 2030.
- Median annual wage in May 2020 was $108,790, ranging from under $67,100 (lowest 10%) to over $181,220 (highest 10%).
Resume Sections for Procurement Managers:
- Header: Includes the professional summary, experience (with numbers and results), relevant skills, education, and certifications.
- Things to Remember: Use the C-A-R methodology (challenge, action, result), keep bullet points concise (4-6 per position), and focus on relevant experiences.
Work Experience Examples:
- Detailed roles: Assistant Procurement Manager, Bid Procurement Manager, Platform Procurement Manager, Business Unit & Procurement Manager, Category Procurement Manager, among others.
- Specific responsibilities: Analyzing quotations, negotiating contracts, managing logistics, leading initiatives, reducing costs, managing procurement for specific regions or commodities.
Skills:
- Hard Skills: Digital fluency, Microsoft Office, program manufacturing devices, procurement management tools, risk management, and strategic procurement.
- Soft Skills: Communication, attention to detail, organization, punctuality, negotiation, and relationship management.
Certifications:
- Procurement Management certification, Risk Management for Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Contract Management, and specific courses on procurement strategies and tools.
Resume Formats:
- Recommends reverse-chronological for experienced individuals, functional skills-based for recent graduates or large employment gaps, and a combination format for versatility.
Additional Sections in a Resume:
- Projects, Publications, References, Hobbies/Interests, Language Skills, Volunteer Work, Highlights, and Awards can add depth and context to your profile.
Creating a Memorable Resume:
- Suggests injecting creativity into the resume layout, possibly through a unique template or adding unconventional sections like 'typical day descriptions' to stand out.
Key Takeaways for a Great Procurement Manager Resume:
- Emphasizes the importance of a clear layout, a well-defined header, specific details in the summary, quantifiable achievements in experience, showcasing both hard and soft skills, and a touch of personality to stand out.
This comprehensive breakdown covers the main concepts and key aspects discussed in the article.
