Any hiring managers in technical buying?

[CX53]

Hi, I'm hoping there could be a purchasing manager or two on here who could give me some advice. I've spoken to a couple of people and recruiters already who have given positive feedback but I'm yet to bag myself an interview for the job I want.

To give a bit of background about myself, I'm currently in a hands on technical role in F1 and motorsport and I'm bored of it (and the stupid hours during the winter car build), and having seen a couple of friends and my FIL having a great work/life balance in similar roles, and similar earning potential to myself, I quite fancy a move in to technical purchasing. I'm told I have the right aptitude and personality for the job but that's subjective I suppose!

Would you consider someone from a technical background but no specific purchasing experience for a buyer role? I understand in my industry especially (composites) it can help to have a technical understanding and ability to read engineers drawings when dealing with suppliers etc. And these skills I already have can be transferred to other areas I.e. Machining.

I want to understand more fully if it's a realistic career move as I'm looking in to starting CIPS certificates, but I want to make sure it's worthwhile before spending the money on the course.

I'm currently being considered for a 12 month contract in a composite buyers role which could be positive, I'm hoping to get an interview so I can show I'm keen, but I'm also conscious that employers may not be overly ready to take on a 30-50k per year guy who has the technical know how but needs training in other areas and the ERP side of things.

Any thoughts from people in the field gratefully received...

Thank you

Edited by CX53 on Tuesday 25th July 15:52

[blank]

Interesting question.

As an engineer my colleagues and I often moan that purchasing know nothing about what they're buying and tend to just get in the way.

And I'm sure purchasing moan about engineers wanting to buy 100 widgets but not understanding why it's not that easy.

I can certainly see the benefit in someone who actually understands what they're buying rather than just negotiates terms and conditions, the issue is likely to be that the person who actually needs the widget probably understands better than anyone, so anything technical should really be their call.

[rog007]

You'll certainly have transferable skills. Whether or not they're attractive enough to a hirer only you will find out by trial and error.

I'd certainly be looking to ensure my CV stacked up against the essential requirements of any role I was applying for and I'd be looking at getting some buyer experience pretty sharpish too; could be as simple as using a week's leave to shadow someone. Buying and negotiating are skills that not all have nor all can develop so worth seeing if you have the personality for it.

Good luck!

[CX53]

blank said:

Interesting question.

As an engineer my colleagues and I often moan that purchasing know nothing about what they're buying and tend to just get in the way.

And I'm sure purchasing moan about engineers wanting to buy 100 widgets but not understanding why it's not that easy.

I can certainly see the benefit in someone who actually understands what they're buying rather than just negotiates terms and conditions, the issue is likely to be that the person who actually needs the widget probably understands better than anyone, so anything technical should really be their call.

This is exactly why I started thinking about the move in the first place. On the shop floor we often complain about why so and so upstairs doesn't understand x, y or z.

Thanks for the comments.

[CX53]

rog007 said:

You'll certainly have transferable skills. Whether or not they're attractive enough to a hirer only you will find out by trial and error.

I'd certainly be looking to ensure my CV stacked up against the essential requirements of any role I was applying for and I'd be looking at getting some buyer experience pretty sharpish too; could be as simple as using a week's leave to shadow someone. Buying and negotiating are skills that not all have nor all can develop so worth seeing if you have the personality for it.

Good luck!

Thanks for your thoughts. I could possibly arrange to shadow someone at my FIL's work as he is a purchasing manager at an engineering firm. I don't know why I didn't think of that before, but I suppose that's why I posted here in the first place, this site can be a really helpful place to ask questions.

[Hughesie]

Have you tried approaching your current POW ?

[ATG]

Hughesie said:

Have you tried approaching your current POW ?

From what I've seen in my sector, this is by far the easiest way to make big changes in role. It's much lower risk for an employer to move someone who is a known quantity than provide a career change for a new recruit.

[CX53]

Hughesie said:

Have you tried approaching your current POW ?

Is that place of work? If so, yes I have. Unfortunately they don't really have any buyer roles as such, just a girl in the office who sorts out the consumables and the production manager sorts out materials etc.

[edc]

The answer is it depends.

I can't see you getting into a senior/experienced pay level buyer roles 35k+ with no purchasing/procurement/buying experience.

Your technical background will help if you are buying that type of product or service.

You will find it hard competing against experienced buyers at the salary level you want. When I have hired buyers within manufacturing/engineering (albeit not composites) there was never any shortage of experienced and capable CVs to consider most with CIPS qualifications too.

There is a close link between procurement and production control and often both functions sit under the same manager. You might find more success internally by making a sideways move into production control/planning first and that might be an easier move to make with less likelihood of a pay cut.

I would say at 50k salary level then these are procurement manager type of salaries typically within manufacturing.

[Bertrum]

Your best option is probably to start at the bottom, I imagine you could get a Assistant Buyer, Buyer role at an engineering company, in aerospace or similar field.

This will need to be someone big, like BAE, Meggitt, Ultra. Stay there for a couple of years, learn the trade see if you have an aptitude for it, start your CIP's then try and make the jump to F1.

You won't get straight in.

I did the above, started at Curtis Wright and went to McLaren., then moved on from there (it was really hard work, lots of hours)

You are looking at about £20-£25k for the first job, then £30-40k at the second. You need to be a senior Purchasing Manager to get to £50k, achievable by 35.

So if you can take the hit now and are good at it you will see fairly fast pay progression.

[CX53]

edc said:

The answer is it depends.

I can't see you getting into a senior/experienced pay level buyer roles 35k+ with no purchasing/procurement/buying experience.

Your technical background will help if you are buying that type of product or service.

You will find it hard competing against experienced buyers at the salary level you want. When I have hired buyers within manufacturing/engineering (albeit not composites) there was never any shortage of experienced and capable CVs to consider most with CIPS qualifications too.

There is a close link between procurement and production control and often both functions sit under the same manager. You might find more success internally by making a sideways move into production control/planning first and that might be an easier move to make with less likelihood of a pay cut.

I would say at 50k salary level then these are procurement manager type of salaries typically within manufacturing.

Thank you for your advice, that's very helpful

[CX53]

Bertrum said:

Your best option is probably to start at the bottom, I imagine you could get a Assistant Buyer, Buyer role at an engineering company, in aerospace or similar field.

This will need to be someone big, like BAE, Meggitt, Ultra. Stay there for a couple of years, learn the trade see if you have an aptitude for it, start your CIP's then try and make the jump to F1.

You won't get straight in.

I did the above, started at Curtis Wright and went to McLaren., then moved on from there (it was really hard work, lots of hours)

You are looking at about £20-£25k for the first job, then £30-40k at the second. You need to be a senior Purchasing Manager to get to £50k, achievable by 35.

So if you can take the hit now and are good at it you will see fairly fast pay progression.

See I've been told by my current employer (F1 team) I've got a better chance of going straight in as a buyer in F1 because of my experience in my current field of engineering, than I have of getting a buyers job somewhere else... their technical buyers all started on the shop floor, but none of them want to leave and make space for me sadly!

Thank you for the other comments, much appreciated

[edc]

CX53 said:

See I've been told by my current employer (F1 team) I've got a better chance of going straight in as a buyer in F1 because of my experience in my current field of engineering, than I have of getting a buyers job somewhere else... their technical buyers all started on the shop floor, but none of them want to leave and make space for me sadly!

Thank you for the other comments, much appreciated

You've got to play to your strengths and use as much of your experience as possible.

I can't see you getting into a Defence or Aerospace business buying electrical sub assemblies or components at a more than entry level salary level. Think outside of F1 too. Who else can use your composites background? Anything in the Automotive world?