Purchasing Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Purchasing Manager

Location: Elkhart, IN
Schedule: 7:30 AM–4:30 PM, Monday–Friday
Pay: $52,000–$80,000 per year, based on experience

Job Summary

Are you an experienced purchasing professional with strong leadership, negotiation, and inventory management skills? We're seeking a Purchasing Manager to oversee purchasing operations, vendor relationships, inventory levels, and material costs. In this role, you'll help ensure the company has the right materials available when needed while maximizing inventory efficiency, controlling costs, and maintaining strong supplier relationships.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Purchasing Manager, your core responsibilities will include:

-Purchasing & Inventory Management: Monitor inventory levels, identify purchasing needs, and determine appropriate quantities and delivery timing to maximize inventory turns and maintain excellent customer service.

-Vendor Management: Research and evaluate potential suppliers based on price, quality, service, reliability, support, production capabilities, and reputation. Develop and maintain strong relationships with reliable vendors.

-Negotiation & Cost Control: Negotiate pricing and purchasing terms with suppliers, prepare cost analyses, solicit bids, and develop cost-reduction strategies and savings plans.

-Purchase Orders & Documentation: Prepare purchase orders, enter purchasing data, review bids and service requests, and ensure purchasing activities are accurately documented.

-Demand Planning: Monitor current and upcoming demand to anticipate material requirements, potential shortages, pricing changes, and other supply concerns.

In addition, you will also be expected to coordinate with warehouse personnel to ensure materials arrive in good condition, communicate anticipated shortages or pricing issues to Sales, assist with customer phone calls and counter sales, and travel to company branches or vendor locations when needed.

What We're Looking For

To be successful in this role, you should have the following:

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of purchasing experience as a Purchasing Agent, Purchasing Officer, Buyer, or similar role
• High school diploma or GED required
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field preferred
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office and computer-based purchasing systems
• Fluent in English, including the ability to read, write, and communicate effectively
• 3+ years of electrical industry experience preferred
• Valid driver's license
• Ability to travel to company branches, vendors, trade shows, and exhibitions as needed

Skills:

-Leadership: Strong leadership and organizational skills with the ability to manage and develop purchasing personnel.

-Negotiation: Ability to negotiate pricing, terms, contracts, and supplier agreements while maintaining strong vendor relationships.

-Inventory Management: Strong understanding of inventory control, demand forecasting, purchasing quantities, and maximizing inventory turns.

-Financial Awareness: Ability to analyze costs, evaluate supplier offers, identify savings opportunities, and make purchasing decisions that support the company's financial goals.

-Problem Solving: Ability to identify potential shortages, pricing concerns, supplier issues, and operational inefficiencies and develop practical solutions.

-Technology: Comfortable learning and operating the software and systems used by the company and its vendors.

What We're Looking For in a Candidate

The ideal candidate is an organized, analytical, and confident purchasing professional who can balance cost control with customer service and material availability. We're looking for someone who takes ownership of their responsibilities, communicates clearly, and can build productive relationships with vendors, warehouse personnel, sales teams, and company leadership.

A successful candidate should be comfortable working independently, making purchasing decisions, negotiating with suppliers, analyzing data, and managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Work Environment

The majority of this position is performed in an office environment, but the role will also require movement through warehouse areas and occasional travel to vendor locations or company branches.

The position may involve exposure to varying temperatures, humidity, cold, dust, and other warehouse conditions. The Purchasing Manager must be able to walk, stand, sit, stoop, perform overhead reaching, and lift up to 30 pounds as needed.

Ready to take ownership of purchasing, vendor relationships, and inventory management? Apply today and let's DO GOOD together!