Procurement Managers

ANZSCO ID 133612

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
7,400
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
94%
Female Share
32%
Average age
44

Summary

Procurement Managers manage the procurement and purchasing of materials, products and services for organisations.

Tasks

  • Determines, implements and monitors purchasing strategies, policies and plans.

  • Negotiates contracts with suppliers to meet quality, cost and delivery requirements.

  • Uses recording systems to monitor and confirm procurement requirements.

  • Oversees the recording of purchase transactions.

  • Directs staff activities and monitors their performance.

Characteristics

Job Type
Managers
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 94% of people employed as Procurement Managers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 28 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
19.5%
2
Wholesale Trade
12.4%
3
Public Administration and Safety
12.1%
4
Retail Trade
9.7%
5
Other industries
41.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.9% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

30.9% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

15.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.9% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.7% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Procurement Managers All Jobs Average
NSW 33.9 31.6
VIC 30.9 25.6
QLD 15.2 20.0
SA 5.9 7.0
WA 9.8 10.8
TAS 0.8 2.0
NT 0.7 1.0
ACT 2.8 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
44
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
32%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Procurement Managers is 44 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 32% of the workforce. This is 16 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Procurement Managers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.1 5.0
20-24 0.9 9.3
25-34 17.1 22.9
35-44 32.1 22.0
45-54 31.4 21.6
55-59 10.4 9.0
60-64 5.4 6.0
65 and Over 2.6 4.2
Median Age 44 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in business management, purchasing, warehousing and distribution, accounting or another related field is usually needed to work as a Procurement Manager. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Procurement Managers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 19.8 10.1
Bachelor degree 28.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 15.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 10.9 21.1
Year 12 15.2 18.1
Year 11 3.4 4.8
Year 10 and below 6.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers who are reliable, organised and can communicate clearly. Employers also value leadership and planning skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 63%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 63%

    Management of financial resources

    Figuring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.

  • 61%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 61%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 61%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 59%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 59%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 59%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 57%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 55%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 55%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 54%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 54%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 52%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 52%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 45%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 73%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 69%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 65%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 64%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 62%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 61%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 60%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 57%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 55%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 55%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 52%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 51%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 50%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 50%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 50%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 48%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 43%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 43%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 36%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 25%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 63%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 59%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 59%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 55%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 55%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 52%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 50%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 50%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 43%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 85%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 79%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 73%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 72%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 71%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 70%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 69%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 69%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 68%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 67%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 67%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 65%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 63%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 61%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 60%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 58%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 58%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 51%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 50%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 76%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 38%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 29%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 57%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 100%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 87%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 87%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 85%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 85%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 84%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 82%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 80%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 80%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 77%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 76%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 73%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 70%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 69%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 66%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 62%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 11-3061.00 - Purchasing Managers.


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