Procurement Analyst

You see them every day at the grocery store: Super shoppers who know the best places to shop, the best times to buy, the best products to purchase, and the best way to get the very best prices. They’re not just consumers; because of their shopping savvy, they’re masters of the deal.

If you’re one of those “professional purchasers,” you might have a promising future as a Procurement Analyst.

Although they don’t buy groceries — and don’t need a two-for-one coupon on potato chips — businesses nonetheless make lots of purchases, including materials, office supplies, equipment, and property, not to mention professional services such as accounting, consulting, and legal counsel.

Whatever it is, when businesses buy it, they turn to you — the Procurement Analyst — to find the best suppliers, manage relationships with vendors, and negotiate low prices. To do that, the Procurement Analyst collaborates with your company’s finance department in order to examine budgets, analyze spending, and develop best practices for procurement. Then, each time your company makes a major purchase, you analyze your company’s needs, research vendors, solicit proposals, collect and compare bids, negotiate pricing and terms, draft contracts, and, ultimately, make the purchase.

Finally, post-purchase, the Procurement Analyst arranges the delivery of goods and services, and maintains ongoing vendor relationships to make sure you continue getting what you pay for — including not only a good price, but also high-quality products, fast delivery, and good customer service.

Because a penny saved is a penny earned, you’re kind of like a corporate coupon clipper, functioning as your company’s version of “Consumer Reports”!