9 Career Paths for Ambitious Young Procurement Professionals


Nov 21, 2022 | Best practices



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Stawan

Nov 21, 20223 min read


There are various career paths for a procurement executive, including Procurement Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Strategic Sourcing Manager, Category Manager, and more. Each role focuses on different aspects of procurement and supply chain management, providing opportunities for advancement and professional development. Continuously developing skills and seeking new opportunities is key for success in this field.


There are many different career options available to a young procurement executive, depending on their interests, skills, and experience. Some of the most common career options include:

  • Procurement Manager: A procurement manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the procurement process, including identifying and selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships, and tracking and analyzing spending data. They may also be responsible for managing a team of procurement professionals. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Director of Procurement or Chief Procurement Officer (CPO).
  • Supply Chain Manager: A supply chain manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the supply chain, including procurement, logistics, and distribution. They may also be responsible for managing relationships with suppliers and other partners, as well as for coordinating activities with other departments such as operations and logistics. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Director of Supply Chain or Vice President of Supply Chain.
  • Strategic Sourcing Manager: A strategic sourcing manager is responsible for identifying and implementing strategic sourcing initiatives that help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. This includes identifying cost savings opportunities, negotiating with suppliers to secure the best possible prices and terms, and implementing processes and procedures to manage the procurement process. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Director of Strategic Sourcing or Vice President of Strategic Sourcing.
  • Category Manager: A category manager is responsible for managing the procurement of a specific category of goods or services. This includes identifying and selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships, and tracking and analyzing spending data. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Director of Category Management or Vice President of Category Management.
  • Procurement Consultant: A procurement consultant works with organizations to help them improve their procurement processes and procedures. This may include conducting assessments, identifying cost savings opportunities, implementing best practices, and providing training and support. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Senior Consultant or Principal Consultant.
  • Supply Chain Analyst: A supply chain analyst is responsible for analyzing data and identifying trends related to procurement, logistics, and distribution. This may include analyzing supplier performance data, tracking inventory levels, and identifying opportunities for cost savings and process improvements. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Senior Analyst or Manager of Supply Chain Analytics.
  • Procurement Operations Manager: A procurement operations manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the procurement function. This may include managing a team of procurement professionals, implementing processes and procedures, and tracking and analyzing data to identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Director of Procurement Operations or Vice President of Procurement Operations.
  • Procurement Technology Manager: A procurement technology manager is responsible for managing the technology systems and tools used to support the procurement function. This may include implementing and maintaining e-procurement systems, managing data analytics tools, and providing training and support to other procurement professionals. As they gain more experience and knowledge, they may be promoted to higher-level positions such as a Director of Procurement Technology or Vice President of Procurement Technology.
  • Procurement Trainer: A procurement trainer is responsible for providing training and support to procurement professionals. This may include developing and delivering training programs, providing coaching and mentoring, and creating training materials.

Overall, there are many different career options available to a young procurement executive, and the best option will depend on their interests, skills, and experience. It's important to continuously develop their skills and knowledge, and to seek out opportunities for advancement and professional development.

At FactWise, we are committed to building truly distinctive procurement products that delight users and facilitate their success. We strive to improve the lives of procurement personnel by leveraging automation and holistic analytics to minimize their time spent on low-value-add tasks such as repetitive document creation, internal and external communications, manual, Excel-based analyses, tracking complex workflows and so on, so that they can focus on more strategic concerns.

Our end-to-end Source-to-Pay platform has been built for self-serve and features an extremely intuitive interface that does not require lengthy trainings, so procurement executives can start using it for free, onboard their teams quickly, and avail of its instant time to value to enhance their function.


About the Author

Stawan is the founder and CEO of FactWise. Before founding FactWise, Stawan was the NA TMT-Procurement Leader at McKinsey. Passionate about procurement, Stawan has 15 years’ experience in enabling clients of all sizes to achieve business impact via procurement.


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