The second quarter of 2011 is off to a very good start for purchasing and supply management job opportunities.

• With grain prices rising due to weather events around the world and other factors, farmers are more optimistic so our agricultural equipment and chemical/fertilizer clients are doing well and hiring.

• Major infrastructure and mining projects in China and elsewhere are helping create many job opportunities at our construction and mining equipment client facilities.

• Although the military is scaling back some spending, our clients who manufacture the next generation of military trucks, vehicles and also personal protection equipment are hiring as a result of large new orders.

• While our utility-scale solar and wind energy equipment manufacturing clients have suffered fits and starts over the past two years, some of our European clients are betting big that the technology and systems they've developed for smaller scale application there will work here in the U.S., and are hiring for new and expanded facilities in which they are investing several billion dollars.

• Our clients who manufacture oil and gas extraction equipment including pipe, pumps and monitoring devices as well as exploratory equipment are gearing up for another busy year.

• Several new positions at the Director and Commodity Manager level are opening in plastic and paper packaging manufacturing and at consumer product manufacturers revamping the packaging of their products.

• IT and services spending is increasing at several of our non-manufacturing clients creating new job opportunities.

Think positive everyone. Inventories of both raw materials and finished goods have been depleted during this recession, so purchasing and supply management job opportunities will continue to increase as manufacturers reaccelerate.  Remember, we often conduct confidential searches for our clients so not all positions are posted. Let us know what positions/locations would interest you.