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Procurement and purchasing agents and officers

OaSIS code 12102.00

Procurement and purchasing agents and officers source and purchase general and specialized equipment, materials, business services and land or access rights for use or for further processing by their establishment.

Overview

Also known as

  • Contract management officer
  • Contracts officer
  • Energy asset surface land analyst
  • Furniture and furnishings purchaser
  • Government supply officer
  • Material management officer
  • Procurement officer
  • Purchasing agent
  • Sourcing specialist
  • Strategic sourcing analyst

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Procurement agents and officers
  • Evaluate risk, assess, prepare forecasts, scenarios and other factors concerning the supply market, and write reports and recommendations
  • Provides research and input into the financial sourcing aspects of contracts and calls for tender when information is not readily available
  • Identify high impact cost reduction opportunities
  • Leverage the organization’s buying power to optimize costs, access new suppliers, reduce lead times, and guarantee supply
  • Develop and maintain relationships with existing and potential buyers and suppliers to the organization
  • Respond to customer service inquiries and clarify requirements and provide information as needed.
  • Purchasing agents and officers
  • Purchase general and specialized equipment and materials, business services and land or access rights for use or for further processing by their establishment
  • Assess requirements of an establishment and develop specifications for equipment, materials and supplies to be purchased
  • Invite tenders, consult with suppliers and review quotations
  • Determine or negotiate contract terms and conditions, award supplier contracts or recommend contract awards
  • Establish logistics of delivery schedules, monitor progress and contact clients and suppliers to resolve problems
  • Negotiate land acquisition or access rights for public or private use, and may conduct field investigations of properties
  • May hire, train or supervise purchasing clerks.

Additional information

  • Progression to managerial positions is possible with experience.
  • Procurement and purchasing agents and officers may specialize in the purchase of particular materials or business services such as furniture or access rights.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Purchasing managers (10012)
  • Purchasing and inventory control workers (14403)
  • Retail and wholesale buyers (62101)

Skills match:

View occupations with similar skills and abilities requirements

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

1 – Business, finance and administration occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

12 – Administrative and financial supervisors and specialized administrative occupations

Sub-major group

121 – Specialized administrative occupations

Minor group

1210 – Administrative and regulatory occupations

Unit group

12102 – Procurement and purchasing agents and officers

Occupational profile

12102.00 – Procurement and purchasing agents and officers

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Managing Resources
5 - Highest Level
Analyzing Data or Information
4 - High Level
Communicating with Coworkers
4 - High Level
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
4 - High Level
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
4 - High Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
2 - Between 35 to 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
3 - Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
4 - More than half the time
Standing
Duration
2 - Less than half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
1 - Very little time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously
Duration
5 - All the time, or almost all the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
4 - Highly important
Frequency
3 - Once a week or more but not every day

Workplaces/employers

  • Establishements throughout the private and public sector

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Verbal Ability
4 - High Level
Categorization Flexibility
3 - Moderate Level
Deductive Reasoning
3 - Moderate Level
Fluency of Ideas
3 - Moderate Level
Inductive Reasoning
3 - Moderate Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Negotiating
5 - Highest Level
Management of Financial Resources
4 - High Level
Management of Material Resources
4 - High Level
Persuading
4 - High Level
Coordinating
3 - Moderate Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Attention to Detail
5 - Extremely important
Active Learning
4 - Highly important
Adaptability
4 - Highly important
Analytical Thinking
4 - Highly important
Collaboration
4 - Highly important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: CEI

Conventional (C)

Conventional occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail following sets of procedures and routines. These activities may include systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, and operating business and data processing. They often require following a clear line of authority and usually involve working with data and details more than with ideas.

Enterprising (E)

Enterprising occupations are characterized by the dominance of action-oriented activities to attain organizational or self-interest goals. They frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects, influencing, leading or mobilizing people, making decisions, and sometimes require risk taking and dealing with business.

Investigative (I)

Investigative occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the observation and systematic or creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena. These occupations require an extensive amount of thinking and frequently involve working with ideas, searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • Procurement and purchasing agents and officers usually require a bachelor's degree or college diploma in business administration, commerce or economics.
  • Procurement and purchasing agents and officers purchasing specialized materials or business services may require a related university degree or college diploma. For example, a bachelor's degree or college diploma in engineering may be required for purchasers of industrial products.
  • A certificate in purchasing from the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) may be required.
  • Previous experience as a purchasing clerk or as an administrative clerk may be required.
  • Certification from the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) may be required.
  • Sourcing specialists and analysts usually require a bachelor's degree or college diploma in economics, logistics, operations management, finance, engineering, mathematics, or statistical analysis.
  • Previous work experience in supply chain for sourcing specialists and analysts is usually required.

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Business Management
3 - Advanced Level
Clerical
3 - Advanced Level
Accounting
2 - Intermediate Level
Economics
2 - Intermediate Level
Logistics
2 - Intermediate Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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