Graduate Procurement Jobs

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Procurement is concerned with the budgeting, sourcing, and buying processes of a company. It's a variable role, but a critical part to any business.

Working in procurement means you will be involved with many different elements of the business, such as supply chain, finance, general logistics and operation. This means that you'll need a broad range of skills and must be comfortable communicating across multiple teams. In large companies, the buying policies and procedures can be quite complex and require someone with a logical and quick mind.

Procurement staff must work within the parameters of these policies and procedures to get the best deals on supplies. A company relies on this to keep up and running, so it's an important role to have.

You will also help to source purchasing options and make sure that the company is being as effective as possible when buying services, equipment and supplies.

Other responsibilities that you will likely have as a procurement profession are negotiating contracts, maintaining good working relationships with suppliers and dealing with issues as they arise.

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Skills & interests required for a career in Procurement

You'll need to be logical to work in procurement as it is primarily about making purchasing decisions that will benefit the company and ensuring that the system is optimised and running smoothly.

Good communication skills will benefit you in maintaining relationships between suppliers and negotiating the best deals. Negotiation is one of the most important skills for the procurement workforce.

You also need to have a strong commercial mind and be able to react quickly to problems that arise. In periods of economic crisis, procurement will be hit hard and companies have to prepare for this.

Procurement professionals have to manage multiple tasks at once and be able to have pay attention to detail when dealing with contracts whilst still considering the broad effects of buying decisions on the business.

Other skills that will benefit you in procurement include:

Presentation
Communication
Analytical
Negotiation
Project management
Commercial awareness
Time management

Graduate schemes & other typical career progression routes in Procurement

As you progress through procurement you will take on more responsibility and be able to make higher level decisions. On a basic level, the progression route for a graduate in procurement can be mapped out as:

Procurement assistant > procurement officer > procurement manager > procurement director

As a director of procurement, you'd be in charge of identifying suppliers, comparing prices and selecting sources, negotiating contracts, maintaining relationships and constantly monitoring the strategy to check that it is effective, efficient and on budget.

Tips for getting into the field

A graduate scheme is a great way to kick start a career in procurement. These structured programmes usually involve a strong element of element of learning to ensure that you are well equipped for a career in this industry.

Contact companies who are local to you and ask if you can shadow someone who works in procurement or supply chain. This will help you to see what the day-to-day work is like in this field.

How much can graduates earn in Procurement?

The earning potential will depend upon what role that you are in, but these are some of the general salaries:

Procurement Assistant: £15,104 - £28,767

Procurement Officer: £19,092 - £35,777

Procurement manager: £25,400 - £66,226

Procurement Director: £61,940 - £129,857

What qualifications do I need for a career in Procurement?

Some entry level roles will require you to have a degree, and a subject such as business will be most beneficial. However, as the main skills required in procurement are logical working and negotiation, graduates from all different disciplines can have a successful career in this area.

You could consider doing a Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) qualification. This will help you to learn some of the specific terminology and practices of procurement and supply.

There are also skills courses, like negotiation, that take place across the country that you could consider doing to strengthen your skillset. These are not necessary to get a job in this field but may make you a more attractive candidate.

Procurement industry bodies

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply
Supply Management Magazine

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Procurement Officer