Purchasing

Purchasing manager CV: example and template

This example is for purchasing managers and heads of purchasing at manufacturing, trading and construction companies, and for buyers and purchasing coordinators who want to run a whole department.

The board wants to know which spend and team you manage, which categories the department buys, what savings you achieve and how you reduce supply risk. We show you how to describe this on your CV.

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Example CV: purchasing manager

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Wojciech Szulc

Purchasing manager

Gliwice +48 123 456 789 wojciech.szulc@example.com

Professional profile

Purchasing manager with 13 years of experience in purchasing, the last 6 at an automotive parts supplier. I head a team of 9 buyers with an annual spend of about PLN 420 million across 4 categories. I introduced a dual-sourcing strategy for key components, and negotiations in 2023 and 2024 saved 4.8% a year.

Work experience

Purchasing manager

02.2020 - present

Automotive parts supplier, Gliwice

  • Heading a team of 9 buyers, spend of about PLN 420 million a year.
  • Purchasing strategy for 4 categories: steel, aluminium, plastics and electronics.
  • Savings of 4.8% a year from negotiation and changes of supplier.
  • A second source for 30 key components, no stoppages due to shortages in 2024.
  • Framework agreements, supplier assessment and audits with the quality team.

Buyer, steel category

03.2012 - 01.2020

Steel structures manufacturer, Katowice

  • Buying steel from 20 suppliers.
  • Negotiating prices and delivery terms.
  • Analysing raw material prices.

Education

Master's degree, management and production engineering

2006 - 2011

Silesian University of Technology

Skills

  • Managing a purchasing department
  • Purchasing category strategy
  • Negotiation and framework agreements
  • Supplier assessment and risk
  • Cost and raw material price analysis
  • ERP systems and purchasing platforms

Certificates

  • CIPS certificate, level 4, 2021
  • Strategic negotiation training, 2023

Languages

  • English: C1
  • German: B2

Additional information

  • Willing to travel to suppliers in Europe

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write a purchasing manager CV

Professional summary

Write which purchasing department you head, in which industry, how many buyers you have and the spend. Add savings and actions that reduced supply risk. The board is looking for someone who cuts costs without exposing production to shortages.

Purchasing coordinator with 6 years of experience at a machinery manufacturer. I am responsible for 2 categories and 40 suppliers and run negotiations and supplier assessment. I am looking for work as a purchasing manager.

Experience: duties and achievements

Describe the team, spend, categories, strategy, savings and supply risk. Show results in numbers. Add your work with quality, production and finance.

Weaker: Heading the team.

Better: Heading a team of 9 buyers, spend of about PLN 420 million a year.

Weaker: Savings.

Better: Savings of 4.8% a year from negotiation and changes of supplier.

Weaker: Risk.

Better: A second source for 30 key components, no stoppages due to shortages in 2024.

Skills worth listing

List department management, category strategy, negotiation, supplier assessment, cost analysis and systems. In your soft skills show leadership, negotiation and strategic thinking.

Professional skills

  • Purchasing department
  • Category strategy
  • Framework agreements
  • Supplier risk
  • Cost analysis
  • ERP

Personal skills

  • Leadership
  • Negotiation
  • Strategic thinking
  • Decisiveness
  • Communication

Certificates

List purchasing certificates, for example CIPS, negotiation training and postgraduate studies in purchasing or supply chain management. Give the CIPS level.

How to become a purchasing manager

People most often move up from buyer or purchasing coordinator. On your CV show your categories, spend and the people you already lead or train.

Add foreign languages and experience with foreign suppliers. At international companies this is often a requirement.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A manufacturer looks for buying materials and security of supply, a retail chain for buying goods and trading terms, and a construction company for buying materials and subcontractor services. Move to the top what the job ad is about.

The most common mistakes on a purchasing manager CV

Questions and answers

What should a purchasing manager put on a CV?

The team, spend, categories, strategy, savings, supply risk, systems, certificates and languages.

How do you show savings?

Give the percentage or amount saved in a year and the source, for example negotiation or a change of supplier.

Is a CIPS certificate needed?

Not always, but it is valued, especially at international companies.

How does a purchasing manager differ from a buyer?

A buyer runs their own category, while a manager is responsible for the whole department, strategy and results.

Create a purchasing manager CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

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See also

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Career guide

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