Buyer Purchasing Agent

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

The Purchasing Agent secures the raw materials, tooling, hardware, outside services, maintenance items, and general supplies that keep our machining and production floor running. The role weighs price against quality, lead time, and on-time delivery, keeps procurement records clean and current, and builds dependable working relationships with our supplier base. Day to day, the Purchasing Agent coordinates with production, engineering, quality, inventory, and accounting so that nothing on the shop floor stalls for lack of material.

Reporting Relationships

The Purchasing Agent reports to the Chief Financial Officer and works regularly with production supervisors, machinists, engineering, quality, receiving, inventory control, and accounting staff.

What You Will Do

· Request quotes from suppliers and compare them on unit price, lead time, quality history, available capacity, payment terms, and total landed cost.

· Write accurate purchase orders, route them for approval, and make sure each supplier clearly understands the requirements and delivery expectations.

· Buy bar stock, forgings and other metals, perishable and durable tooling, cutting tools, shop consumables, spare and repair parts, lubricants, PPE, and the other materials production depends on.

· Keep inventory at sensible levels, timing purchases to avoid both excess or obsolete stock and production downtime.

· Track open orders, chase down shortages, and flag any risk to the production schedule as early as possible.

· Read requisitions, drawings and specifications, and the production schedule to pin down exactly what needs to be ordered and when.

· Work with receiving, quality, and accounting to close out count discrepancies, damaged or nonconforming material, invoice mismatches, and returns.

· Confirm order acknowledgments and promised dates, and check that certifications and material or quality requirements are met before parts arrive.

· Measure supplier performance and help drive corrective actions, cost-savings projects, and qualification of second sources.

· Keep supplier records, pricing, lead times, order history, and backup documentation current in the purchasing system.

· Operate within company purchasing procedures, spending authority limits, confidentiality expectations, and ethical sourcing standards.

What You Need

· At least two years in purchasing, procurement, materials, or supply chain within a machine shop or other manufacturing setting is preferred.

· Practical understanding of machining materials, cutting tools, shop supplies, and the language of the shop floor.

· Careful with numbers, well organized, and effective at negotiating, communicating, and following through.

· Hands-on experience with purchasing or inventory software, along with solid skills in spreadsheets, email, and everyday office applications.

· Able to juggle competing demands and respond quickly when production needs something urgently.

· High school diploma or GED required; an associate or bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, manufacturing, or a similar field is a plus.

Nice to Have

· A grasp of CNC machining, fabrication, production planning, inspection, and outside-processing flows.

· The judgment to spot supply risks early and line up workable alternatives without sacrificing specification or quality.

· Working familiarity with common alloys, grades, product forms, tolerances, and material certifications.

· Skills in supplier negotiation, cost analysis, inventory control, and tracking vendor performance.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Most of the work takes place in an office, with frequent trips onto the shop floor and into receiving and inventory areas. The role calls for clear communication, extended computer use, close review of detailed records, and the occasional lifting or moving of items up to 25 pounds. Required personal protective equipment must be worn in designated production areas.

Compensation and Benefits

Pay: Starting at $25.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Health insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• 401(k)

• Paid time off

• Life insurance