Reports To: General Manager /Director of Operations
About the Opportunity
We are a growing small manufacturing company looking for a hands-on Purchasing & Inventory Manager who can manage our day-to-day purchasing while also developing the processes, controls and systems needed to improve inventory accuracy, material availability, supplier performance and purchasing efficiency.
This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys more than simply placing purchase orders. We are looking for a person who can think critically, solve problems, build processes, work directly with suppliers, and help create a purchasing and inventory system that supports the company's continued growth.
This is a broad role with significant visibility and responsibility. You will work closely with management, production, engineering, accounting, warehouse, and suppliers. You will have the opportunity to identify what's working, identify what's not, and help develop practical solutions.
If you are someone who looks at a process and thinks, "There has to be a better way to do this," this may be a good fit.
What You'll Do
Own Purchasing
- Manage day-to-day purchasing of raw materials, components, parts, supplies, and outside services.
- Review production requirements, inventory levels, open purchase orders, and anticipated demand to determine purchasing needs.
- Prepare and issue purchase orders and maintain accurate purchasing records.
- Obtain and compare supplier quotes, pricing, lead times, minimum quantities, and payment terms.
- Negotiate pricing and other purchasing terms when appropriate.
- Monitor open orders and actively follow up with suppliers to ensure materials arrive when needed.
- Develop strong relationships with key suppliers.
- Identify alternative suppliers and sourcing opportunities.
- Help reduce purchasing costs while maintaining appropriate quality and delivery requirements.
Improve Inventory Control
- Take ownership of inventory accuracy and help establish reliable inventory-control practices.
- Monitor inventory levels and establish appropriate reorder points, minimum/maximum levels, and safety stock where appropriate.
- Identify excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
- Investigate inventory discrepancies and work to identify their root causes.
- Coordinate physical inventory counts and cycle-count activities.
- Work with production and warehouse personnel to improve inventory accuracy and material accountability.
- Help ensure that the company has the materials it needs without unnecessarily tying up cash in excess inventory.
Build Better Processes
One of the most important aspects of this position will be developing and improving the systems behind purchasing and inventory management.
You will have the opportunity to:
- Evaluate our current purchasing and inventory processes.
- Identify weaknesses, inefficiencies, and unnecessary manual work.
- Develop and document purchasing and inventory procedures.
- Establish appropriate purchasing controls and approval processes.
- Improve ERP/MRP and inventory data.
- Develop useful purchasing and inventory reports.
- Establish processes for monitoring supplier performance.
- Identify opportunities to automate or simplify repetitive activities.
- Develop processes that can scale as the company grows.
Support Production
- Work closely with production to understand upcoming material requirements.
- Identify potential shortages before they affect production.
- Communicate material availability and supplier issues to the appropriate people.
- Help resolve unexpected material shortages and supplier delays.
- Assist with planning for long-lead-time and critical components.
- Coordinate with engineering and production when material substitutions or changes are required.
Manage Supplier Relationships
- Develop productive relationships with key suppliers and subcontractors.
- Monitor supplier pricing, quality, lead times, delivery performance, and responsiveness.
- Address supplier problems and work toward permanent solutions.
- Research and qualify alternative sources when appropriate.
- Look for opportunities to improve supplier terms and reduce supply-chain risk.
Use Data to Make Better Decisions
We want this position to be more than transactional.
You will be expected to use purchasing and inventory data to help answer questions such as:
- What should we be buying?
- When should we buy it?
- How much should we buy?
- Which materials are tying up too much cash?
- Where are we at risk of a production shortage?
- Which suppliers are creating problems?
- Where can we reduce costs?
- Why don't our inventory records match what is physically on the shelf?
What We're Looking For
Required
- 3+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, inventory control, manufacturing operations, or a related field.
- Hands-on experience working with suppliers and purchase orders.
- Strong organizational and follow-up skills.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to analyze data and identify problems or trends.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of responsibilities.
- A practical, problem-solving approach.
Preferred
The following experience would be valuable, but we are willing to consider candidates with equivalent practical experience:
- Manufacturing purchasing experience.
- Experience with an ERP/MRP or inventory-management system.
- Experience developing purchasing or inventory-control procedures.
- Experience with cycle counting and physical inventory.
- Experience establishing reorder points or inventory parameters.
- Supplier negotiation experience.
- Production planning or material requirements planning experience.
- Experience analyzing inventory turns, carrying costs, excess inventory, or obsolete inventory.
- Experience with Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement.
- Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, operations, accounting, or a related field.
Equivalent hands-on experience can substitute for a college degree.
The Person Who Will Succeed in This Role
We're looking for someone who is:
Curious. You want to understand why something is happening, not just process the transaction.
Organized. You can keep track of dozens of suppliers, orders, dates, quantities, and competing priorities.
Analytical. You are comfortable looking at data and using it to make decisions.
Resourceful. When a supplier can't deliver, you start looking for solutions rather than waiting for someone else to solve the problem.
Proactive. You notice problems before they become emergencies.
Practical. You understand that the best process isn't necessarily the most complicated one. It is the one people can actually use consistently.
Collaborative. You understand that purchasing and inventory decisions affect production, accounting, sales, and ultimately our customers.
A builder. You enjoy taking something that isn't fully developed and making it better.
What You Can Expect
Because we are a small manufacturing company, you won't be one small piece of a huge purchasing organization.
You will have the opportunity to:
- Have a direct impact on how the company operates.
- Work closely with company leadership.
- Build and improve processes rather than simply inherit them.
- Develop supplier relationships and influence purchasing decisions.
- See the direct results of your work on production and inventory.
- Take on increasing responsibility as the company grows.
- Make a meaningful contribution to the company's operational efficiency.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $65,000–$80,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.
Benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental/Vision
401(k)
PTO
Paid Holidays
Other Benefits
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and a brief description of your experience with purchasing, inventory management, manufacturing, or process improvement.
We are particularly interested in hearing about a process you have improved, fixed, or built from the ground up.
Thermo-Lay Manufacturing is an equal opportunity employer.
