Procurement career path
Learn more about the education, experience and competencies you need to advance in your career as a procurement officer for the Government of Canada.
This career path is modelled on the Purchasing and Supply group Classification Standards and Qualification Standards.
Employees in the Purchasing and Supply (PG) group are primarily involved in planning, developing, delivering and managing purchasing and supply policies, programs, services and other activities. These activities include:
- asset management and disposal
- contracting
- procurement of goods or services
- inventory management
- cataloguing
- warehousing or traffic management
- providing advice in any of these activities
- leadership in any of these activities
Career progressions
Requirements for a PG-01
Salary range: $58,039 to $69,220
Sample job titles: purchasing agent, junior procurement officer, purchasing agent, procurement coordinator
Compare these requirements with the next level: requirements for a PG-02.
Requirements
At the PG-01 level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Years working at level: 1 year minimum
- Cumulative years working: 2 years
- Linguistic profile: Various
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative is required.
Experience
At least one of three functional experiences:
- goods
- services
- major projects
A breadth of experience in complexity in procurements involving at least two of the following:
- call-ups against a standing offer
- commercially available goods
- common services that are readily available in the marketplace
- procurement methodologies that are tried and proven using existing conventions
- standard Government of Canada or departmental procurement templates
- contractor selection method that is objective and does not require subjective judgment (for example, grid)
Competencies
- Core: Foundational
- Functional: Foundational
- Technical: Foundational
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly desirable but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
Requirements for a PG-02
Salary range: $69,027 to $78,803
Sample job titles: purchasing officer, procurement officer, contracting officer, supply officer
Compare these requirements with the next level above: requirements for a PG-03.
Requirements
At the PG-02 level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Years working at level: 2 years minimum
- Cumulative years working: 2 years
- Linguistic profile: Various
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative
Experience
At least two of three functional experiences:
- goods
- services
- major projects
A breadth of experience in complexity in procurements involving at least one of the following:
- government-specified performance requirements for commercially available goods
- requirements based on existing technology or processes to achieve an innovative solution
- service with subjective results (for example, consultations, recommendations)
- introduction of customized clauses, terms or conditions
- evaluation criteria that require subjective judgment
- industrial and technological benefits or value propositions
- vendor pre-qualification
- advance payments
Competencies
- Core: Foundational
- Functional: Foundational
- Technical: Foundational
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly desirable, but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
- regional experience
Requirements for a PG-03
Salary range: $76,841 to $87,747
Sample job titles: procurement officer, senior procurement, contracting or supply officer, procurement, contracting or supply analyst
Compare these requirements with the next level above: requirements for a PG-04.
Requirements
At the PG-03 level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Years working at level: 2 years minimum
- Cumulative years working: 4 years
- Linguistic profile: Various
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative
Experience
At least two of three functional experiences:
- goods
- services
- major projects
A breadth of experience in complexity in procurements involving at least one of the following:
- new, or a combination of new and existing, technology or processes to achieve an innovative solution
- outcomes-based and iterative approaches to procurement
- a quality-control review of a procurement plan or activity to ensure compliance with policy requirements
Competencies
- Core: Intermediate
- Functional: Intermediate
- Technical: Intermediate
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly desirable, but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
- experience with multiple departments and sizes
- experience with common service providers
- regional experience
Requirements for a PG-04
Salary range: $91,162 to $104,179
Sample job titles: procurement specialist, supply team leader, procurement, contracting or supply specialist, procurement or contracting team leader
Compare these requirements with the next level above: requirements for a PG-05.
Requirements
At the PG-04 level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Years working at level: 2 to 5 years
- Cumulative years working: 6 to 9 years
- Linguistic profile:
- Specialist: Various
- Team leader: Bilingual imperative
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative
Experience
At least two of three functional experiences:
- goods
- services
- major projects
A breadth of experience in:
- complexity in procurements involving at least one of the following for a team leader and two of the following for a specialist:
- new, or a combination of new and existing, technology or processes to achieve an innovative solution
- a high level of uncertainty
- an untested procurement strategy
- managerial experience (required for a team leader)
Competencies
- Core: Intermediate
- Key leadership: Supervisor
- Functional: Intermediate
- Technical: Intermediate
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly desirable, but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
- functional experience in procurement policy and reporting
- experience with multiple departments and sizes
- experience with common service provider
- regional experience
- managerial experience (for specialists)
Requirements for a PG-05
Salary range: $107,309 to $120,539
Sample job titles: senior procurement specialist, supply manager, procurement or contracting supervisor, procurement or contracting manager, team leader
Compare these requirements with the next level above: requirements for a PG-06.
Requirements
At the PG-05 level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Years working at level: 3 to 5 years
- Cumulative years working: 9 to 14 years
- Linguistic profile:
- Specialist: Various
- Team leader and manager: Bilingual imperative
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative
Experience
At least two of three functional experiences:
- goods
- services
- major projects
A breadth of experience in:
- complexity:
- coordination and supervision of procurement and contracting services to business owners in the organization
- providing advice
- interpreting new requirements that:
- apply department- or government-wide
- are of public interest
- involved a high level of uncertainty
- involved detailed and extensive administration
- managerial experience (required for a team leader and manager)
Competencies
- Core: Advanced
- Key leadership: Supervisor
- Functional: Advanced
- Technical: Advanced
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly recommended, but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
- experience with multiple departments and sizes
The following assets are highly desirable, but are not required:
- functional experience in procurement policy and reporting
- experience with common service provider
- regional experience
- managerial experience (for specialists)
Requirements for a PG-06
Salary range: $120,389 to $133,462
Sample job titles: procurement or contracting manager, procurement, contracting or supply director
Compare these requirements with the next level above: requirements for an EX.
Requirements
At the PG-06 level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Years working at level: 4 to 5 years
- Cumulative years working: 13 to 19 years
- Linguistic profile: Bilingual imperative
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative
Experience
Functional experience in the following:
- goods
- services
- major projects
- procurement policy and reporting
A breadth of experience in:
- multiple departments and size
- complexity:
- leadership and management of procurement services and activities that meet business owners’ needs and align with government-wide priorities, policies and initiatives
- provision of authoritative advice on procurement and contracting
- managerial experience
Competencies
- Core: Advanced
- Key leadership: Manager or director
- Functional: Advanced
- Technical: Advanced
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly recommended, but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
The following assets are highly desirable, but are not required:
- experience with common service provider
- regional experience
Requirements for an EX
Salary range: $134,827 to $198,939
Sample job titles: director, senior director or director general of:
- procurement
- contracting
- materiel management
- asset management
Requirements
At the EX level, you’re expected to have the following:
Qualifications
- Linguistic profile: Bilingual imperative
Education
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternative
Experience
Functional experience:
- At least two of three:
- goods
- services
- major projects
- Procurement policy and reporting
A breadth of experience in:
- complexity:
- experience in procurement either as a business owner or as a contracting authority
- managerial experience
You must have managerial experience. It’s an asset to have experience with multiple departments and sizes, common service providers and regional providers.
Competencies
- Key leadership: Director or director general
- Digital: All applicable
To learn more, visit the Procurement community competencies web page.
Learning and development
Refer to the Learning and Development sections in the Procurement Career Path (only available to Government of Canada employees).
Asset criteria
The following assets are highly desirable, but are not required:
- degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution
- an acceptable combination of certification in a field relevant to the duties of the position, experience and studies
- a satisfactory score on the Level 2 General Competency Test
- experience with multiple departments and sizes
- experience with common service provider
- regional experience
Leadership profiles
Learn more about different pathways that can help guide your career by visiting Procurement career paths and leader profiles (Only available to Government of Canada employees)
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