| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Procurement and Purchase |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Purchase Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 2 to 4 years in plant or office purchase |
Purchase Executive job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Purchase Executive
Department: Procurement and Purchase
Reports to: Purchase Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Purchase Executive handles day to day buying for a plant or office: turning indents into orders, getting quotes, placing and following up purchase orders and helping close goods receipt. The role reports to the Purchase Manager and is a core hands on buying job. A good purchase executive keeps common materials and spares flowing, gets fair prices on regular buys, follows up so nothing runs short, and keeps goods receipt and invoice details clean so payments go through without repeated queries.
Key responsibilities
- Turn indents from stores and departments into purchase orders with correct specifications and terms.
- Get and compare quotes for regular materials, spares and consumables before ordering.
- Negotiate price and delivery on repeat buys with approved suppliers within limits.
- Follow up suppliers on confirmation, dispatch and delivery until material arrives.
- Coordinate goods receipt with stores and clear routine short supply and quantity issues.
- Support three way match and payment follow up with correct order and receipt details.
- Manage urgent buys without stalling the shop floor and keep the manager informed.
- Maintain price lists, supplier contacts and order status for the assigned items.
- Handle wrong item and short supply disputes with suppliers to closure.
- Escalate price rises and delivery risks that need a manager decision.
Requirements
- Graduate in commerce, engineering or science
- A purchase or supply chain course is an advantage
- Working knowledge of GST on purchases
- 2 to 4 years in plant or office purchase
KRAs and KPIs for a Purchase Executive
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Order turnaround | Indent to purchase order time within the agreed service standard |
| Availability | Stockouts on assigned regular items kept near zero |
| Price on repeat buys | Prices on repeat items held or reduced against the last order |
| Delivery | On time delivery on assigned orders above the agreed threshold |
| Match support | Order and receipt details clean so payments pass within target time |
| Dispute closure | Short supply and wrong item disputes closed within target time |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP MM, Tally Prime, MS Excel, ERP purchasing, Supplier portals.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Purchase Executive, Purchase Officer, Purchase Manager
Interview questions for a Purchase Executive
- How do you turn an indent into a purchase order without errors?
- How do you hold prices on a regular item over several orders?
- How do you manage an urgent buy the day before it is needed?
- A store reports short supply against your order. How do you resolve it?
- What do you do to keep goods receipt and invoice details clean?
- How do you handle a supplier who raises prices without notice?
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What does a Purchase Executive do?
A Purchase Executive handles day to day buying for a plant or office. They turn indents into orders, get and compare quotes, negotiate repeat buys, follow up delivery and help close goods receipt and payment. Their job is steady supply of common materials and spares at fair prices with clean records.
What is the difference between a Purchase Executive and a Purchase Officer?
The roles overlap and titles vary by company. A Purchase Executive focuses on placing orders, quotes and follow up. A Purchase Officer often carries a little more accountability for transactions, three way match and payment follow up. Both are hands on buying roles reporting to the purchase manager.
What qualifications do you need to become a Purchase Executive?
Most roles ask for a graduate degree in commerce, engineering or science, and value a purchase or supply chain course. Employers look for two to four years of buying experience, comfort with a purchasing system and spreadsheets, and a working knowledge of GST on purchases.