Writing a Procurement Job Description That Attracts the Right Candidates

A procurement job description is the first thing a candidate sees. It shapes their decision about whether to apply, sets their expectations about the role, and signals what kind of organisation you are. Most procurement job descriptions do all three of these things badly.

The most common problem is the wish list. Someone — usually a combination of HR, the hiring manager, and whoever last held the role — compiles a list of every skill and experience that might conceivably be useful, and presents it as a set of requirements. The result is a description that no real candidate fully matches, that signals an organisation that doesn't know what it actually needs, and that deters strong candidates who don't tick every box.

The second problem is generic language. 'Strong communication skills.' 'Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.' 'Commercial acumen.' These phrases appear in virtually every procurement job description and convey almost no information. They don't help candidates assess whether the role is right for them, and they don't help hiring managers assess whether candidates are right for the role.

The third problem is a focus on inputs rather than outcomes. Most job descriptions describe what the person will do — manage a category, run tenders, develop supplier relationships. The best job descriptions describe what the person will achieve — deliver £X of savings in year one, build a category strategy for an underdeveloped spend area, establish a supplier performance framework that doesn't currently exist.

How do you write a better one? Start with the outcomes. What does success look like in this role after twelve months? After three years? Be specific. If you can't answer this question, you're not ready to write the job description — you need to spend more time clarifying what you actually need.

Then identify the three or four capabilities that most predict success in achieving those outcomes. Not the full list of everything that would be nice to have — the three or four things that genuinely matter most. These become your essential criteria. Everything else is desirable.

Write about the organisation honestly. What makes this a great place to build a procurement career? What are the real challenges the new hire will face? Strong candidates are evaluating you as much as you're evaluating them. Authenticity is more attractive than marketing copy.

Finally, keep it concise. A job description that takes ten minutes to read signals an organisation that doesn't respect candidates' time. The best job descriptions are clear, specific, and short enough to read in under three minutes — and they leave the candidate wanting to know more.