A professional who coordinates activities involved with procuring goods and services, such as raw materials, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, and advertising, for establishment. Responsibilities include:

• Reviews requisitions.
• Confers with vendors to obtain product or service information, such as price, availability, and delivery schedule.
• Selects products for purchase by testing, observing, or examining items.
• Estimates values according to knowledge of market price.
• Determines method of procurement, such as direct purchase or bid.
• Prepares purchase orders or bid requests.
• Reviews bid proposals and negotiates contracts within budgetary limitations and scope of authority.
• Maintains manual or computerized procurement records, such as items or services purchased, costs, delivery, product quality or performance, and inventories.
• Discusses defective or unacceptable goods or services with inspection or quality control personnel, users, vendors, and others to determine source of trouble and take corrective action.
• May approve invoices for payment.
• May expedite delivery of goods to users.