Contract Compliance

Career Transition in Procurement: Should I Stay in Sourcing or Explore New Opportunities?

Navigating career development in procurement can be challenging, especially when considering lateral moves or departmental switches. Many professionals encounter similar dilemmas: maintaining growth within a current role versus exploring opportunities that might better align with their long-term goals.

Understanding Your Current Role in Strategic Sourcing

If you’ve been dedicated to project strategic sourcing for several years, it’s likely that you have developed valuable expertise and skills. Strategic sourcing involves comprehensive vendor management, cost analysis, and contract negotiations, which are highly transferable within the procurement landscape. Your enjoyment in the role and recognition of its expansive growth potential are positive indicators of a promising career trajectory.

However, organizational dynamics can complicate career progression. In your case, management appears hesitant to provide promotions to senior roles in your current department, despite you handling responsibilities that surpass those of your peers. This can be a source of frustration but also an opportunity for reevaluation.

Exploring Opportunities within Project Engineering

Interestingly, your close collaboration with the project engineering department has led to a new procurement-focused role being created. This position seems to encompass responsibilities as the central point for procurement activities within that department, functioning primarily in an advisory capacity. The role is positioned at a senior level—comparable to a section head—but appears to have limited avenues for upward mobility beyond that.

This scenario raises an important question: would accepting this new role impact your long-term career development in procurement?

Evaluating the Impact of a Departmental Move

Transitioning from strategic sourcing to a procurement advisory role within engineering offers both advantages and considerations:

• Skill Diversification: Working within engineering procurement can broaden your expertise, making you more adaptable across different sectors within procurement.

• Leadership Opportunities: A senior-level position provides management exposure and a chance to influence departmental procurement strategies.

• Career Advancement Limitations: If the role is capped at a certain level without clear pathways to higher positions, it could plateau your career growth.

Key Factors to Consider

• Long-term Goals: What does your ideal career path look like? Do you aspire to senior management roles, specialized expertise, or cross-functional leadership?

• Organizational Growth: Is there potential for upward mobility within the engineering procurement role, or is it a lateral position?

• Skill Development: Will this move enhance skills that are valuable and transferable across the procurement landscape?

• Job Satisfaction: Which role aligns better with your interests and professional fulfillment?