| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Procurement and Purchase |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Purchase Manager |
| Direct reports | Purchase Executive |
| Experience | 4 to 7 years in purchase execution |
Senior 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: Senior Purchase Executive
Department: Procurement and Purchase
Reports to: Purchase Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Senior Purchase Executive runs the full purchase cycle for complex and higher value buys and coordinates the moving parts around them. They handle requisitions, quotes, orders, goods receipt and payment follow up end to end, and sort out the exceptions that trip up junior staff. The role reports to the Purchase Manager. A good senior purchase executive keeps orders flowing without errors, closes goods receipt and payment issues fast, negotiates fair prices on repeat buys, and is the person the desk turns to when an order gets complicated.
Key responsibilities
- Run the full purchase cycle for complex and higher value buys from requisition to payment follow up.
- Get and compare quotes and negotiate price and delivery on repeat and mid value items.
- Place purchase orders with correct specifications, prices, taxes and delivery terms in the system.
- Coordinate with stores and quality on goods receipt, inspection and clearance of held material.
- Resolve three way match failures between order, receipt and invoice and clear payment holds.
- Follow up late deliveries and manage urgent buys without stalling the shop floor or projects.
- Handle short supply, wrong item and quantity disputes with suppliers through to resolution.
- Maintain vendor records, rate cards and order status for the assigned items.
- Guide junior executives on system use, follow up and exception handling.
- Report pending orders, receipts and payment issues to the purchase manager.
Requirements
- Graduate in commerce, engineering or science
- A purchase or accounts course is an advantage
- Working knowledge of GST and GRN process
- 4 to 7 years in purchase execution
KRAs and KPIs for a Senior 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 accuracy | Purchase orders raised without error above the agreed accuracy level |
| Delivery | On time delivery on assigned orders above the agreed threshold |
| Match and payment | Three way match issues and payment holds cleared within target time |
| Price on repeat buys | Prices on repeat items held or reduced against the last order |
| Dispute closure | Short supply and quality disputes closed within the target time |
| Team support | Junior executive queries and exceptions handled as agreed |
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: Purchase Manager, Procurement Manager, Senior Buyer
Interview questions for a Senior Purchase Executive
- Walk me through how you handle a complex purchase order from start to payment.
- How do you clear a payment hold when order, receipt and invoice do not match?
- How do you manage an urgent buy without cutting corners on the process?
- How do you keep prices steady on repeat items over several orders?
- A supplier disputes a short supply claim. How do you resolve it?
- How do you guide a junior executive who struggles with system exceptions?
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What does a Senior Purchase Executive do?
A Senior Purchase Executive runs the full purchase cycle for complex and higher value buys, from requisition and quotes to orders, goods receipt and payment follow up. They handle the exceptions that stump junior staff, negotiate repeat buys, clear match and payment issues, and guide the executives around them.
What is the difference between a Purchase Executive and a Senior Purchase Executive?
A Purchase Executive handles routine buying: requisitions, quotes, orders and follow up. A Senior Purchase Executive takes the complex and higher value orders, resolves goods receipt and payment exceptions, negotiates repeat buys and mentors juniors. The senior role carries more ownership and problem solving.
What qualifications does a Senior Purchase Executive need?
Most roles ask for a graduate degree in commerce, engineering or science with four to seven years in purchase execution. Employers value hands on order, goods receipt and payment experience, a working knowledge of GST, and the reliability to own complex orders through to closure.