Planner/Buyer - Washington, United States - Zippia

Description

What is a planner/buyer and how to become one

Updated April 25, 2024

6 min read
Planners/buyers are responsible for managing a company's inventory and purchasing goods to meet customer demand.

They analyze sales data and market trends to make purchasing decisions, negotiate with suppliers, and ensure timely delivery of goods.

They must also maintain relationships with vendors and manage budgets to maximize profits.

These roles are critical to ensuring that a company has the right products at the right time to meet customer needs.

How long does it takes to become a planner/buyer?

It typically takes 5-6 years to become a planner/buyer:
Years 1-4: Obtaining a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as business, marketing, or finance.
Years 5-6: Accumulating the necessary work experience in duties like analyzing market trends, negotiating with vendors, and managing budgets.
Opportunity to work with a variety of brands and products
Chance to make a tangible impact on the success of a business
Ability to develop analytical and strategic thinking skills
Potential for travel and networking opportunities
Creative problem-solving is an integral part of the role
Cons
Continuous pressure to meet sales targets and volume goals
Limited flexibility due to the need to adhere to strict budgets and timelines
Can be challenging to juggle competing demands from multiple stakeholders
Decision-making can be complex and require a significant amount of data analysis.
How to become a planner/buyer in 6 steps:


Step 1:
Explore Education

Step 2:
Develop Skills

Step 3:
Complete Relevant Training

Step 4:
Research Duties

Step 5:
Prepare Your Resume

Step 6:
Apply For Jobs
Planner/Buyer career paths

As a planner/buyer, you can advance to various roles in procurement, supply chain, and operations management. You may become a senior buyer, a purchasing manager, or a director of purchasing.

If you pursue a career in supply chain management, you could become a master scheduler, materials manager, or an operations manager.

You could also move into different industries as a supply chain vice president or a global supply chain manager. If you're interested in administration, you could become an office manager or a contracts manager.
Production Planner
Avg Salary $60,390
Buyer
Avg Salary $54,049
Purchasing Assistant
Avg Salary $38,331
Purchasing Agent
Avg Salary $51,950
Planner
Avg Salary $63,161
Avg Salary $58,467
Inventory Planner
Avg Salary $65,504
Supply Chain Coordinator
Avg Salary $50,728
Production Scheduler
Avg Salary $49,367
Avg Salary $40,083
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Planner/Buyer
7 years
Purchasing Manager
Avg Salary $98,118
Senior Buyer
Avg Salary $79,848
Material Manager
Avg Salary $96,125
Supply Chain Analyst
Avg Salary $67,450
Senior Supply Chain Analyst
Avg Salary $89,789
Master Scheduler
Avg Salary $77,733
Supply Chain Manager
Avg Salary $100,414
Production Control Manager
Avg Salary $89,453
Director Of Purchasing
Avg Salary $106,945
Avg Salary $113,769
Show More
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Key steps to become a planner/buyer

Bachelor's
65.4 %
Associate
18.1 %
Master's
7.8 %
Start to develop specific planner/buyer skills

A planner/buyer's key skills include creating purchase orders, managing strategic supplier relationships, and planning production orders. They also review inventory levels and generate/approve requisitions/purchase orders. They schedule production orders based on material availability and forecast, and they develop tracking and feedback systems. They promote inventory turns by developing an inter-company database to share excess inventory. They also coordinate eco-implementations, facilitate product introductions, and identify alternative manufacturers and qualified suppliers.
Skills
Percentages
Supply Chain

14.28%
Purchase Orders

13.80%
Customer Service

6.73%

MRP
6.10%

ERP
3.18%
Show more
Complete relevant planner/buyer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New planner/buyers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a planner/buyer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real planner/buyer resumes.
Research planner/buyer duties and responsibilities

Planners/buyers create purchase orders in compliance with internal policies, manage strategic supplier relationships, review inventory levels, and establish delivery schedules.

They also track production orders, identify and qualify alternate suppliers, and negotiate cost reductions.

They coordinate with other departments to ensure successful execution of inventory plans, monitor supply and demand, and develop relationships to maintain detailed production schedules.

They also evaluate the appropriate balance between materials releases, expedited delivery, and safety stocks.
Manage assign commodities by communicating
MRPchanges to the suppliers, minimizing obsolete inventory while achieving the optimum inventory levels.
Manage monthly and year end physical inventory audits of all raw materials, WIP, and finish goods.
Manage inventory pipelines from NPI to manufacturing and/or offshore contract manufacturers.
Utilize company
ERPsystem for inventory management and schedule optimization.
Prepare your planner/buyer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your planner/buyer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder

to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a planner/buyer resume.

You'll find resume tips

and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Planner/Buyer Resume templates Build a professional Planner/Buyer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Now it's time to start searching for a planner/buyer job.

Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Share your story for a free salary report.
The average Planner/Buyer salary in the United States is $54,261 per year or $26 per hour. Planner/buyer salaries range between $37,000 and $77,000 per year.
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros
its a challenging work. you need lot of potential to be materials manager.
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

KEEPING THE INVENTORY AND COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros
To be involved in negotiations
Cons
I like all in this job, because I have the choise to be in relation with a lot of persons and know what they are doing against purchasing also what the use to buy and under what coondition
More Reviews
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The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life.

Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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