A procurement engineer manages the delivery of products and services to ensure efficiency and meet company needs. Different types of jobs are available, including purchasing equipment and controlling natural resource supplies. Education and experience requirements vary.
A procurement engineer oversees the delivery of products and services to simplify them as much as possible. This is a form of process control, to keep processes efficient and timely to meet the needs of a company or agency. Several different types of jobs in this field are available, with their own requirements and job descriptions. This position should not be confused with a power supply engineer, an electrical engineering job that focuses on the design and implementation of power supplies for systems of various types.
One type of supply engineer works for manufacturers to purchase equipment. This might include chemical tank products for a fertilizer company and sewing machines for a clothing manufacturer. The engineer establishes different equipment options, compares the available products and determines the options best suited to the company’s needs. It may be necessary to consider the possibility of future expansion when evaluating options, and the engineer needs to think about the long-term costs associated with maintenance as well as the initial investment required to purchase the equipment.
Supply engineers can also provide routine supplies to manufacturing to keep the supply chain moving. When slowdowns occur, it can result in losses for the company as production may have to be stopped or products put on hold. These engineers anticipate line needs, ensure raw material availability and look for alternatives if they believe a problem may arise. This could include planning ahead for natural disasters, projected downturns in the supply of raw materials, and so on.
Other positions may involve controlling natural resource supplies. The most common example is a water supply engineer who supports operations at a facility that supplies water to customers. These engineers need to estimate customer needs and available supplies and determine the best allocation for delivering water to customers. They may need to consider the need to balance conflicting needs within the area served by their agency and may be involved in planning for droughts and other shortages to maintain a stable water supply.
Training and experience for this field may depend on the job. Some employers recruit from within their own staff, relying on people familiar with their operations for supplies. In other cases, formal education may be required, along with some experience in the field. A water supply engineer, for example, might need a degree in civil engineering.
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