Purchasing/Supply Officer Āpiha Hoko
Purchasing/supply officers buy or supply equipment, materials and services at the best price and quality for an organisation.
Purchasing/supply officers may do some or all of the following:
- work with staff and management to define their purchasing needs
- keep up to date with market trends in the industry they work
- research and identify new suppliers
- build relationships and negotiate prices with suppliers
- order and purchase goods and services that the business needs
- keep accurate records of payment and delivery of goods and services.
Useful Experience
Useful experience for purchasing/supply officers includes:
- customer service
- administrative work
- accounting or financial work
- work in stores and warehouses.
Personal Qualities
Purchasing/supply officers need to be:
- good at communicating
- able to follow a budget
- good at planning and time management
- methodical and accurate, with an eye for detail
- good at negotiating
- able to work well under pressure.
Skills
Purchasing/supply officers need to have knowledge of:
- the organisation and industry they work for
- the specifications of the products they deal with
- procurement strategies
- the pricing and availability of products they deal with
- laws regarding contracts and buying and selling of goods and services, such as the Sale of Goods Act and Commerce Act
- electronic inventories.
Conditions
Purchasing/supply officers:
- work normal business hours
- work in offices or at places where they supply goods and services
- may travel domestically to find suppliers.
Subject Recommendations
No specific secondary education is required for this job, but maths, accounting and business studies to at least NCEA Level 2 are useful.
Purchasing/Supply Officers can earn around $47K-$110K per year.
Chances of getting a job as a Purchasing/Supply Officer are good due to a shortage of people interested in this type of work.
Pay for purchasing/supply officers varies depending on skills, experience, the type of work they do and where they work.
- Purchasing/supply officers with one to three years’ experience usually earn between $47,000 and $83,000 a year.
- Purchasing/supply officers with more than three years’ experience can earn up to $110,000.
- Purchasing/supply managers can earn between $69,000 and $196,000.
Depending on experience and ability, they may also get bonuses and other benefits such as a company car.
Source: NZPICS, Lawson Williams Specialist Recruitment 'NZ Supply Chain Salary Survey', 2019.
Purchasing/supply officers may move into management roles such as procurement manager.
Purchasing/supply officers may specialise in a particular industry, such as construction or IT.
Years Of Training
There are no specific requirements to become a purchasing/supply officer as you gain skills on the job. However, many employers prefer to hire purchasing/supply officers who have or are working towards a qualification.
A tertiary qualification in procurement or purchasing and supply management can be useful.
University students who want to work in a government purchasing/supply role can apply for the New Zealand Government Procurement two-year graduate training programme.