A Materials Manager, or Purchasing Manager, oversees a company’s needs for inventory and supplies by managing vendor relationships, assessing supply needs and coordinating delivery schedules. Their duties include training operations staff, signing purchase orders and tracking the flow of inventory through the company’s supply chain.
Materials Manager 应该能够履行各种职责和责任。以下是 Materials Manager 应该能够执行的一些职责和责任：
- Evaluating suppliers on the basis of delivery speed for their products and services, price and quality
- Interviewing vendors and visiting supplier distribution centers and plants to examine and learn about prices, products and services.
- Attending conferences, trade shows and meetings to network with suppliers and learn about new industry trends
- Analyzing financial reports, price proposals and other information used to determine reasonable pricing
- Negotiating contracts for the organization and working out agreements with suppliers for product delivery
- Meeting with vendors and staff to discuss unacceptable and defective products and establish corrective action
有竞争力的 Materials Manager 将具备某些技能和资格，包括：
- Analytical skills for evaluating and choosing suppliers offering the best combination of service, delivery, quality and price
- Decision-making skills for making timely and informed decisions on selecting products they believe will sell.
- Math skills for comparing prices from various suppliers and ensuring the organization is receiving the best deal
- Interpersonal skills, self-confidence and negotiating skills for establishing contracts with suppliers and vendors.
