10012 Purchasing managers

What this occupation covers

Purchasing managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of a purchasing department and develop and implement the purchasing policies of a business or institution. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 8 main duties for this code.

• Plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the purchasing activities of an establishment
• Develop purchasing policies and procedures and control purchasing department budget
• Identify vendors of materials, equipment or supplies
• Evaluate cost and quality of goods or services
• Negotiate or oversee the negotiation of purchase contracts
• Participate in the development of specifications for equipment, products or substitute materials
• Review and process claims against suppliers
• Interview, hire and oversee training of staff.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 8 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 12102 Procurement and purchasing agents and officers
• 62101 Retail and wholesale buyers
• 70012 Facility operation and maintenance managers

Excluded from this code

• Procurement and purchasing agents and officers (See 12102 Procurement and purchasing agents and officers)
• Retail and wholesale buyers (See 62101 Retail and wholesale buyers)
• Warehousing manager (See 70012 Facility operation and maintenance managers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

building supplies purchasing manager · category purchasing manager · clothing purchasing director · clothing purchasing manager · contract director · contract manager · electronic components purchasing chief · electronic components purchasing director · electronic components purchasing manager · equipment manager · food purchasing director · food purchasing manager · hardware purchasing director · hardware purchasing manager · logistics officer - Canadian Armed Forces · material and services purchasing manager · material manager · merchandise purchasing director · merchandise purchasing manager · office equipment purchasing manager · procurement director · procurement manager · procurement operations director · purchasing chief

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree or college diploma in business administration, commerce or economics is usually required.
• Purchasing managers responsible for units purchasing specialized materials or business services may require a related degree or diploma. For example, a bachelor's degree or college diploma in engineering may be required for purchasing managers responsible for purchasing industrial products.
• The designation Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) or registration in the educational program of the Supply Chain Management Association may be required.
• Several years of experience as a purchasing agent or officer are required.