Purchasing Director

Job Description

Job Description

The Purchasing Director leads and manages the sourcing and materials functions to establish a top-level purchasing operation within the organization. This role is responsible for developing strategies, managing a team, and overseeing supplier relations to optimize procurement processes, reduce costs, and ensure continuity of supply while supporting corporate goals.

Responsibilities

• Create long-term procurement plans aligned with organizational goals, budget constraints, and market trends.
• Anticipate future procurement needs based on company objectives and production schedules.
• Develop and expand the purchasing team to effectively handle planning and procurement functions.
• Establish and improve purchasing policies, procedures, and practices to standardize activities.
• Lead and implement purchasing strategies for direct and indirect materials to improve delivery, quality, and reduce costs.
• Conduct team performance reviews, set goals, and enforce adherence to company policies.
• Develop and maintain the purchasing budget to ensure financial discipline.
• Monitor spending and ensure purchasing decisions enhance organizational profitability.
• Track and report key performance indicators such as cost savings, supplier performance, and cycle times.
• Provide regular updates to senior management on purchasing activities, cost-saving initiatives, and supply chain challenges.
• Negotiate favorable terms with existing suppliers including pricing, delivery schedules, and payment terms.
• Identify and evaluate potential suppliers based on quality, cost, reliability, and ethical standards.
• Cultivate strong supplier relationships to ensure supply continuity and resolve any issues promptly.
• Collaborate with other departments to implement new workflows and improve internal and external efficiencies.
• Drive cost reduction initiatives through vendor negotiations, process improvements, and volume purchasing.
• Develop a thorough understanding of key materials, supplier markets, and cost infrastructure.
• Partner actively with Manufacturing Operations and support key production outsourcing initiatives.
• Manage aggressive cost forecasting by evaluating market influences.
• Build strong relationships across departments and sites to meet purchasing needs effectively.
• Coordinate priority dates from Production Planners and Project Managers.
• Address defective or unacceptable goods or services by collaborating with users, suppliers, and QA/QC to implement corrective actions.

General Descriptions:

Lead, develop and manage the sourcing and materials functions to create a top-level purchasing operation for the organization. Establish purchasing controls for corporate procurement. 

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy:

o   Create long-term plans to procure goods and services that support the organization's needs, taking into account budget constraints, quality requirements, and market trends.

o   Anticipate future procurement needs based on company goals, production schedules, and other factors.

Team:

o   Develop a team to handle the planning and purchasing functions at Skyline Windows

o   Manage and build upon the current team and augment to handle more

o   Develop improved purchasing policies, procedures and practices

o   Leading, developing, defining, and implementing purchasing strategies for direct and indirect materials to improve deliveries/availability, improve quality and reduce overall costs.  

o   Develop and execute purchasing policies and procedures to standardize purchasing activity

o   Conduct performance reviews, set goals for the team, and ensure that employees adhere to company policies and procedures.

o   Manage Budget - Develop and maintain the purchasing budget to ensure that the company stays within financial limits.

o   Monitor Spending - Ensure that purchasing decisions are cost-effective and contribute to the organization's profitability.

o   Track and Report on Key Metrics: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like cost savings, supplier performance, and purchasing cycle times.

o   Provide Regular Updates: Report purchasing activities, progress on cost-saving initiatives, and any supply chain challenges to senior management.

o   Present plan and roadmap. Get buy-in from key stakeholders

Suppliers:

o   Work with existing suppliers to  negotiate and secure favorable terms, including pricing, delivery schedules, and payment terms.

o    Identify and evaluate potential suppliers based on quality, cost, reliability, and ethical standards. Proactively resolve internal customer related needs and offer proactive solutions

o    Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to ensure continuity of supply and to resolve any issues that may arise. Work with other departments to effectively implement new workflows and processes as needed to improve overall internal and external efficiencies

o   Cost Reduction - Look for ways to reduce costs through vendor negotiations, process improvements, and volume purchasing

Customers:

o   Develop in-depth knowledge of key materials, market suppliers and cost infrastructure

o   Become an active partner with Manufacturing Operations

o   Develop key production outsourcing initiatives as required

o   Aggressive cost management to forecast market influences

o   Effectively build relationships amongst all departments and site locations to execute purchasing needs

o   Responsible for receiving the priority dates from the Production Planners and the Project Mangers

o   Discuss defective or unacceptable new goods or services with users, suppliers and the QA/QC Department to determine cause of problem and take corrective and preventative action

Requirements:                    

Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree a plus

Minimum of 7 years of experience in a senior purchasing leadership role in a related industry

Experience with purchasing for $100m+ spend

Experience with aluminum, glass, hardware required, manufacturing industry preferred

Knowledge & Skills:

Computer Skills: Use of a Purchasing/ERP system, (SAGE a major plus), MAS and significant experience using Microsoft Excel, Share Point, Ariba and other office tools

Position requires superior oral and written communication and comprehension skills.

Must be able to handle complaints, settle disputes, resolve conflicts, or otherwise negotiate with others.

Must be able to communicate with others outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, and other external sources.

Able to provide information to supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates.

Able to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintain them over time

Ability to occasionally travel to the Supplier locations to assess facilities and ensure they meet company standards and capabilities.