How to Write an Effective Purchasing Manager Resume

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published June 19, 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

A purchasing manager is responsible for buying materials or products that are part of an organization's inventory. They negotiate contracts with various vendors and help ensure that suppliers deliver quality products. Learning how to create a resume for a purchasing manager position can help you get an interview with a hiring manager. In this article, we discuss what a purchasing manager resume is, explain what makes an excellent resume for a purchasing manager, describe the steps to write a resume for this role, and provide you with a resume template and an example.

What is a purchasing manager resume?

A purchasing manager resume allows a hiring manager or recruiter to examine a potential employee's skills when they apply for a position as a purchasing manager. When looking for a new purchasing manager for an organization, a hiring manager typically looks for someone with the skills and experience to oversee the daily activities of the purchasing and inventory teams. Employers also usually require a professional who can develop effective relationships with multiple suppliers and conduct regular budget analyses.

What makes an excellent resume for a purchasing manager?

Creating a well-written resume can help increase your chances of getting an interview with an organization. The following are some tips that you can use to help you create an effective resume for a purchasing manager position and demonstrate that you're a high-quality candidate:

Expert writing: A hiring manager typically uses an applicant tracking system (ATS) to help scan multiple resumes for various keywords that are in an organization's job description. A good resume for a purchasing manager can include terms such as supplier, evaluation, and contract negotiation to appeal to the ATS and hiring manager.
Format: The best resume format can help you emphasize your work history and skills equally. If you're beginning your career, a functional resume format can be an appropriate choice, whereas a chronological format may be more suitable if you have previous experience.
Design: A good design choice for a purchasing manager resume uses a modern layout. It's wise to choose a design that best suits the employer's style you wish to work with when applying.

How to write a resume for a purchasing manager

You can use the following steps to create an effective resume when you're applying for a purchasing manager position:

1. Format the resume

In your resume, it's important to inform anyone reading it that you're able to perform your daily responsibilities effectively. It's beneficial to give a hiring manager reasons to invite you to an interview. You can use the following tips to help you format your resume:

Choose the best resume template
Use 1 or 1.5 line spacing
Choose a professional font, such as Verdana or Calibri
Begin each section with the most recent item
Use bullet points to add your details
Keep your resume to one or two pages

2. Write an objective or summary

It's important for a purchasing manager to have excellent negotiation skills because this can help a company achieve its goals. You can make an elevator pitch to persuade a hiring manager that you have these abilities. An excellent place to do this is in your resume's objective or summary, where you can write a synopsis of your experience and qualifications. You can also use this summary to briefly describe one or two achievements you're proud of, any certifications you completed, or your relevant skills.

You can use a career objective if you don't have a considerable amount of experience. Include your aspirations and skills that are relevant to working as a purchasing manager, and show your enthusiasm for the new role. The following examples can help you develop a professional summary or objective:

Purchasing manager with over six years of experience reaching retail procurement and product strategy targets. Key strengths include monitoring vendor contracts, forecasting demand and price, and resolving procurement challenges.
Enthusiastic and motivated purchasing manager with over a decade of experience in labour management, purchase strategy, and inventory management. High level of experience leading a team of buyers and purchasing agents, developing supplier contracts, and ensuring seamless availability of goods.
Detail-oriented purchasing manager with eight years of valuable experience in sourcing and supplier selection, strategic planning, and budgeting and forecasting. Significant achievements include leading a purchasing team of over 20 employees, maintaining 5% annual material cost reduction, and managing budgets over $10 million.

3. Show your work history

To help prove your efficiency as a purchasing manager, you can list your relevant work experience in the employment history section of your resume. Be sure to include your previous employer's name, your job title, your employment dates, and the location. Use bullet points and quantify your work achievements by utilizing statistics, numbers, and other various relevant information. In this section, you can use powerful action verbs and detail your job-specific responsibilities. Here are some work experience examples you might use on your resume:

In charge of negotiating new vendor contracts, resulting in annual company savings of $300,000
Responsible for monitoring on-time product delivery with a 98% success rate
Work with various company departments to help ensure the proper use of budgets and strategies

4. Include your education

The educational requirements for a purchasing manager position can vary between companies. It can be beneficial to have a degree in business administration, finance, or supply management. If you have the experience that proves to a hiring manager you can outperform other applicants, you might still get an invitation for an interview. In some industries, an employer may require their purchasing manager to have a degree in the industry they represent. For example, when applying for work in the construction industry, employers might prefer a purchasing manager to have a degree in construction or a relevant field.

5. List your skills

Your resume's skills section can include the most significant keywords from a job description. Be sure to include between six and 12 skills in bullet points, and list as many hard skills as possible and a few soft skills. You can also emphasize the skills that are most relevant to the job. Hard skills are typically more important for a hiring manager because they can align with a company's on-the-job knowledge and experience with specific processes or technology. Soft skills are valuable because they're transferable. You can include the following skills on your resume:

Manage large-scale budgets
Inventory management software
Vendor negotiation and sourcing
Market research
Communication skills
Strategic and analytical thinking
Relationship management
Leadership skills

6. Write a cover letter

This is an optional step, but writing a cover letter can help your chances of a hiring manager calling you for an interview. When writing a cover letter, reference the requirements the employer has in their job description. Be sure to describe your most relevant or exceptional qualifications to help a hiring manager see why you're the best choice for the position. The following tips can also help you enhance your cover letter:

Use the same design as your resume
Add your contact information to the header
Address the hiring manager by their name
Finish the cover letter with a call to action and signature

Resume template for purchasing managers

Reviewing the following template can help you develop your own resume when applying for a purchasing manager position:

[First name] [Last name]
[City, Province or territory]
[Phone number]
[E-mail address]

Professional summary
[One to three sentences to describe your experience and skills and highlight why you're a high-quality candidate for the role]

Skills

[Relevant skill]
[Relevant skill]
[Relevant skill]
[Relevant skill]
[Relevant skill]

Work experience
[Job title], [Employment date]
[Company name], [City, Province or territory]

[Job responsibility and accomplishment]
[Job responsibility and accomplishment]
[Job responsibility and accomplishment]
[Job responsibility and accomplishment]
[Job responsibility and accomplishment]

Education and certifications
[Degree or diploma]
[University or college], [City, Province or territory]
[Graduation year]

[Certification name]
[Certifying company], [Expiration date if applicable]

Example resume for a purchasing manager

The following is an example resume that can help you create your own:

Robert Parker
Toronto, ON
416-874-3617
rparker@email.com

Professional summary
Top-producing purchasing manager with 15+ years of verifiable experience in inventory and purchasing control. Skills include reducing material costs, improving purchasing timelines, and collaborating with vendor and company teams.