Supply Chain Specialist Career Descriptions

The following job descriptions are for informational purposes only and meant to supply minimum guidelines for organizations to consider. Every firm reviewing the material presented herein would vary, augment, and adjust the information to better suit their particular needs dependant upon the relevant tasks at hand, and the educational, experiential, and ethical skill set required by individuals to successfully fulfill the position requirements.

These basic job descriptions were developed by Tim Moore for the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC); however, Tim Moore and Tim Moore Associates cannot take responsibility for their correct usage in your exact application, as each organization is different. These are meant for minimum guideline suggestions only.

Purchasing specialists can be found in a broad spectrum of organizations including manufacturing firms, government agencies, distribution centers, services, healthcare, and education to name a few. In general, they work to determine and obtain the best quality of goods and/or services at the best possible price; and to provide the correct quantity at the appropriate delivery date(s). They add value to organizations employing them by bringing together and effectively utilizing financial, human, and other Company resources to intelligently buy goods and services. They help increase efficiency, add to bottom line profitability, and even assist global competitiveness.

Job titles and descriptions differ greatly in this profession and are generally influenced by the size of the organization, industry sector, commodities or services purchased and employer practices, rather than specific job duties. Changing practices have continually altered the traditional role of purchasing in many industries; however job descriptions can be generally grouped into three main classifications based on core duties, skill set and/or educational requirements.


Executive   |   Middle Management   |   Operational