INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Purchasing Director positions are at a 17% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 681,700 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 118,200 to 799,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Purchasing Director jobs was $134,180 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $70,830, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Purchasing Director job market is wide open for candidates.
Top purchasing director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Things to remember when writing your Purchasing Director experience section
Purchasing director 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 Purchasing Director resumes. Check them out below!
- Reporting to the Board Executive Purchasing Director, with the responsibility of purchase management of FMCG – Fast Moving Consumer Goods – with a team of 11 people;
- Ensure the increase of market share, specially in food area, and the best return on investment (ROI);
- Definition of the strategic vision and the commercial tactics, assortment and shelving politics and decisions (CatMan);
- Conducting the national negotiations, entrance fees and new stores opening fees and the promotional area;
- At international level, since january 2007, co-coordination of the Household and Personal Products Sinergy: top 30 Suppliers negotiation, permanent/seasonal imported products development and building a stronger “first price” products;
- At organizational and training area, I was the responsible of the Buying Department Coaching;
- Major projects and achieves:
- FMCG sales increase of 9% and coordination of “Efficienty Promotions Program” with ABM Consultants on the scope of ECR and ECR Forum;
- Reporting to the Board Executive Purchase Director, with the responsibility of purchase management of FMCG – Fast Moving Consumer Goods – with a team of 11 people;
- Ensure the increase of market share, specially in food area, and the best return on investment (ROI);
- Definition of the strategic vision and the commercial tactics, assortment and shelving politics and decisions (CatMan);
- Conducting the national negotiations, entrance fees and new stores opening fees and the promotional area;
- At international level, since january 2007, co-coordination of the Household and Personal Products Sinergy: top 30 Suppliers negotiation, permanent/seasonal imported products development and building a stronger “first price” products;
- At organizational and training area, I was the responsible of the Buying Department Coaching;
- Major projects and achieves: FMCG sales increase of 9% and coordination of “Efficienty Promotions Program” with ABM Consultants on the scope of ECR and ECR Forum;
- Led the development and execution of a strategic sourcing program resulting in $25M+ in cost savings over a 2-year period
- Negotiated contracts with major suppliers, achieving an average of 15% cost reduction
- Implemented a supplier performance management program resulting in a 20% increase in on-time delivery and quality performance
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline procurement processes and reduce cycle time by 25%
- Managed a team of 5 procurement professionals, providing coaching and mentoring to develop skills and drive performance
- Developed and implemented a global sourcing strategy resulting in $30M+ in annual cost savings
- Negotiated contracts with key suppliers, achieving an average of 20% cost reduction
- Managed supplier relationships and conducted regular supplier performance reviews to ensure compliance with quality and delivery requirements
- Implemented a supplier diversity program, increasing spend with minority-owned and women-owned businesses by 15%
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify and implement process improvements, resulting in a 30% reduction in procurement cycle time
- Developed and executed a sourcing strategy resulting in $10M+ in cost savings over a 3-year period
- Negotiated contracts with key suppliers, achieving an average of 12% cost reduction
- Implemented a supplier performance management program resulting in a 15% improvement in on-time delivery and quality performance
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline procurement processes and reduce cycle time by 20%
- Managed a team of 3 procurement professionals, providing coaching and mentoring to develop skills and drive performance
- Implemented a new supplier evaluation system that resulted in a 25% reduction in material costs
- Reduced lead times by 15% through renegotiation of contracts with key suppliers
- Developed and maintained relationships with over 50 suppliers, resulting in increased cost savings and improved delivery times
- Managed a purchasing budget of over £5 million per year
- Successfully negotiated the terms of a multi-year contract with a major supplier, resulting in £1.5 million in cost savings over the life of the contract
- Implemented a new inventory management system that resulted in a 20% reduction in excess inventory and a 10% increase in inventory turnover
- Generated and processed over 500 purchase orders per month
- Developed and delivered purchasing training for all new hires
- Managed a purchasing budget of over £10 million per year
- Led negotiations with key suppliers resulting in a 20% reduction in material costs
- Oversaw the implementation of a new purchasing system, resulting in a 30% reduction in lead times
- Developed and maintained relationships with over 100 suppliers, resulting in increased cost savings and improved delivery times
- Generated and processed over 1000 purchase orders per month
- Managed a team of 5 buyers and provided training and development opportunities
- Generated and processed over 200 purchase orders per month
- Assisted with the implementation of a new inventory management system, resulting in a 15% reduction in excess inventory
- Developed and maintained relationships with over 50 suppliers
- Assisted with the negotiation of contracts with key suppliers
- Managed inbound shipments from international suppliers
- Assisted with the coordination of outbound shipments to customers
PRO TIP
In writing your Purchasing Director resume, you will no doubt want to list your previous duties - as you should. But steer clear of just listing your duties, instead of your achievements. Make your resume stand out by communicating what you have done, and not merely what the job needed you to do.
Action verbs for your purchasing director resume
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The Best Way to Write Your Purchasing Director Resume’s Skills Section
Purchasing director 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 purchasing director resume
Microsoft Office
SAP
Excel
Salesforce
Data Entry
Quickbooks
Project Management
Customer Service
CRM
Communication
Negotiation
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Collaboration
Flexibitly
Resilience
Dedication
Empathy
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.
Purchasing director resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your purchasing director 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:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Purchasing Director 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 purchasing director resume summary
Purchasing director 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:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
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Adding education, courses, and certifications to your purchasing director 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 purchasing director resume
SAP MM Purchasing Simplified for Beginners
Easy Introduction into Purchasing Processing in SAP ERP
VPs and Directors of Product Management: Finding Excellence
Succeeding in an intense, stressful, invigorating job
Professional Director Series: Fundamentals for Directors
Fundamentals that a Director must know.
Stress management for business owners, directors & managers
Reduce & manage stress at work & in business & build stress resilience, with 50+ practical stress management strategies
Procurement Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Purchase To Pay
Gain expert-level knowledge of world-class operational procurement with this comprehensive overview.
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
the best format for your purchasing director 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 Purchasing Director 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:
PRO TIP
Test your draft Purchasing Director resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
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:
Creating a memorable purchasing director 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 purchasing director 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.
