FOOD & DRINK PURCHASING MANAGER JOBS

As a purchasing or procurement manager in the Food & Beverage Industry, you would be responsible for buying equipment, goods and services for your company. The main aim of your job would be comparing costs, quality and service in order to get the best value for your employer.

What you purchase would depend on your employer and the industry you worked in, for example:

raw materials and engineering components for a manufacturing company to use
wholesale stock for a retailer to sell (in this case you would usually be known as a buyer)
furniture, stationery and cleaning services for your offices.

Your day-to-day tasks would typically include:

deciding what goods, services and equipment are needed
monitoring and forecasting stock levels
researching and identifying new products and suppliers
assessing tenders from potential suppliers
negotiating prices and agreeing contracts
making sure that suppliers deliver on time
processing payments and invoices
following market trends

In larger organisations you might run a purchasing department and lead a team of buyers and administrators. In smaller companies, you might combine purchasing responsibilities with other management duties.

What qualifications and experience will employers look for?

Employers could ask for varying qualifications and experience.

One way to start is as an administrator or assistant in a company's purchasing department. You could then work your way up to manager as you gain experience and professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).

You may have an advantage with a BTEC HNC/HND or degree in supply chain management, logistics or business studies, but this is not essential if you have relevant work experience.

For some drinks industry jobs, employers may prefer you to have qualifications and technical knowledge in your particular industry. See our Qualifications pages or specific job role pages for more information.

You may be able to join some large companies through a management training scheme. You will usually need a degree (in any subject) to get on to a scheme, although some employers recruit people with A levels or equivalent qualifications.

Most employers expect purchasing managers to have or be working towards membership of CIPS. If you do not have an accredited degree in supply chain management, you can study for CIPS professional qualifications while you are working in a purchasing department.

See the CIPS website for a list of accredited degrees and postgraduate courses, and more details about their qualifications and membership.

What further training and development can I do?

You will develop your skills on the job, possibly as part of a structured graduate training scheme. You will also normally study for NVQs or professional qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).

You could work towards NVQ levels 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Supply Chain Management, or you could study for CIPS qualifications including:

Level 3 Certificate in Purchasing and Supply
Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Purchasing and Supply
Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Purchasing and Supply
Level 6 Graduate Diploma, a degree-level qualification

The Level 3 and 4 qualifications are suitable for purchasing administrators and people new to the industry. Most purchasing managers aim to achieve the Level 6 Graduate Diploma.

You can study for CIPS qualifications part-time at local colleges and private training providers, or by distance learning. See the CIPS website for full details of entry requirements and where to study.