Purchasing Manager

Job title: xPL Purchasing Manager



Reports to: xPL Procurement Manager



Level: xPL5, xPL6

Location: Huntsville, AL

Pay Rate: $140k-160k/yr

Position Description:
Lead purchasing and inventory management functions for xPL manufacturing facility. Manage team of buyers and inventory
analysts for ensuring material availability to support production. Partner with xPL teams to deliver reliable material flow,
maintain inventory accuracy, resolve supply challenges, and continuously improve operational performance.

Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach, and develop xPL team of buyers responsible for purchasing materials and services required to support manufacturing operations.
• Establish team priorities and oversee daily purchasing activities to ensure materials are available to support production schedules.
• Partner closely with xPL teams (e.g., Manufacturing, Production Planning, Engineering, Inventory, Quality, Procurement) to align material requirements with production demand and proactively resolve material constraints.
• Monitor open purchase orders, supplier acknowledgements, critical shortages, and delivery commitments; direct expediting activities to prevent production interruptions.
• Maintain visibility of material availability, production risks, and supplier commitments, communicate issues and recovery plans to manufacturing leadership.
• Oversee purchase order lifecycle, including purchase order creation, revisions, acknowledgements, cancellations, closeout, and documentation accuracy.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with local and operational suppliers to improve delivery performance, responsiveness, and issue resolution.
• Partner with xPL Procurement and Strategic Sourcing teams to support supplier transitions, contract implementation, and strategic sourcing initiatives while ensuring successful operational execution.
• Coordinate with Finance to resolve invoice discrepancies, returns, credits, and purchasing-related issues.
• Partner with xPL Engineering and Manufacturing teams to manage engineering changes, material substitutions, and supplier implementation of design revisions.
• Support resolution of supplier quality issues in coordination with xPL Manufacturing, Quality, and Procurement teams.
• Oversee purchasing performance through key operational metrics including material availability, supplier on-time delivery, open orders, past due orders, lead times, inventory health, and buyer productivity.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on purchasing processes, supplier execution, Enterprise Resource
• Planning (ERP) utilization, and material flow efficiency.
• Oversee team compliance with procurement policies, delegated authority, internal controls, and company procedures.
• Supervise team and participate in hiring process, onboarding, and deliver timely performance feedback for direct reports, contribute to performance appraisals during annual performance cycle, utilize talent management systems.
• Other activities, duties, and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited degree program with minimum of 8 years of related experience, including leadership responsibility, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• Knowledge of manufacturing operations, production scheduling, inventory management, and material planning.
• Knowledge of purchasing policies, procurement processes, and supply chain operations.
• Experience leading and developing purchasing or materials management teams.
• In-depth understanding of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)/Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems, inventory control, and production planning processes.
• Professional communication delivery with ability to influence cross-functional teams, and resolve operational supply chain challenges.
• Supervisory skill, demonstrate leadership, coaching, and ability to facilitate team development.
• Strong analytical thinking, sound judgment, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple and concurrent priorities; highly organized with excellent attention to detail.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills (e.g., pivot tables, lookups, dashboards) preferred.
• Proficient computer skills, database application skills, Microsoft Office suite of applications, and collaboration tools(e.g., Teams, SharePoint).
• Limited travel.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the
essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the
essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands to finger, handle,
or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands, talk, and hear. The employee frequently views a computer monitor and
frequently uses a computer keyboard. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth
perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Performance of the required duties require physical ability to climb permanent and
temporary stairs, passenger use of construction personnel hoists, ability to climb ladders and negotiate work areas under
construction. The employee is regularly to be mobile, and the employee occasionally travels both short and long distances via a
variety of conveyances. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 15 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50
pounds.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the
essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the
essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in a manufacturing environment where
the employee is exposed to moving mechanical parts, high precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, outside weather
conditions, and risk of electrical shock. The noise in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. The employee is required
to work in compliance with company safety policies, procedures, and applicable laws