Engineer, executor, manager: who owns what in site procurement
Clear roles are the backbone of a reliable purchase process. A practical breakdown of the three roles every construction purchase team needs.
· 6 min read
When everyone can do everything, nobody takes responsibility for anything. The most dependable purchase teams we have seen split the work across three clear roles.
Project Engineer
The engineer knows what the site needs and when. They raise the requisition with the material, quantity, site and required-by date, and later confirm that the delivery arrived in good condition.
Purchase Executor
The executor knows the market. They pick up open requisitions, contact vendors and record quotations, then send the comparison to the manager for a decision.
Purchase Manager
The manager controls the spend. They approve a quotation, place the order with a PO number and delivery date, and resolve any issues the engineer reports after delivery.
Why separation matters
Splitting the roles creates natural checks. The person who asks for material isn't the person who picks the vendor, and neither of them approves the payment. Each step is also recorded, so any question can be answered with a timeline instead of a guess.