Procurement Specialist

St. Louis, MO | Full-Time | Non-Exempt

WHY THIS ROLE IS DIFFERENT Most procurement postings read like a checklist: process POs, chase vendors, update spreadsheets. This one isn't that. You'll be the person who decides how materials actually get where they need to be - negotiating with vendors, allocating stock against real project deadlines, and catching problems before they become someone else's emergency.

We're less interested in whether you've used a specific ERP system before and more interested in how you think when something doesn't add up: do you dig in, or wait to be told what to do?

What Makes This Opportunity Different

• Real ownership from day one - you'll manage vendor relationships and purchasing decisions, not just process paperwork someone else decided on
• A steep, fast learning curve across fire/life safety, security, and AV systems - genuinely interesting products, not commodity parts
• Direct visibility into how your work affects project timelines and customer commitments - you'll see the impact of a good (or bad) sourcing call
• A small, family-owned company where you're not a cog - leadership knows your name and your work
• Room to grow into senior procurement, category management, or supply chain analytics based on where your strengths take you

About Tech Electronics Tech Electronics is a St. Louis-based, employee-focused technology services company specializing in low-voltage life safety and communication systems - fire alarm, security, video surveillance, and AV - across the education, healthcare, construction, government, commercial, and worship sectors. We've been doing this for nearly 60 years, with nine offices across the Midwest and Colorado, and we still run like a family business because we are one.

The Role - What You'll Actually Do This role blends hands-on purchasing execution with the judgment calls that keep material flowing. Roughly:

Purchase Order Execution & Vendor Negotiation (40%)

• Place and manage purchase orders with vendors across our supplier network
• Negotiate pricing, discounts, and terms - this directly affects our margins and project profitability
• Build real working relationships with vendor reps so you're first in line when something's tight or short
• Spot and resolve pricing discrepancies, lead-time issues, and order problems before they escalate

Inventory Allocation & Delivery Management (35%)

• Allocate stock to the right due dates, balancing internal project needs against external customer commitments
• Track orders proactively - catch delays early and coordinate corrective action with vendors and internal teams
• Work across branches to resolve shortages, transfers, and urgent material needs

Reporting & Continuous Improvement (25%)

• Maintain accurate, useful inventory, usage, and quality/failure reports
• Use data to spot patterns - which vendors are reliable, where costs are creeping, what's about to run short
• Bring ideas for doing this better - we're not precious about "the way it's always been done"

What We're Looking For We hire for how someone thinks before we hire for what they already know. In order of what actually matters to us:

• Intangibles - this is what we can't teach
• Grit - you follow through on the unglamorous parts of a job, not just the interesting ones
• Curiosity - you ask why a process works the way it does instead of just running it
• Flexibility - you can shift from a vendor negotiation to a shortage crisis to a report, all in one afternoon
• Independent thinking - you make a reasonable call when the answer isn't written down, and you know when to ask
• Analytical Comfort - how you use tools and logic
• Comfortable working with numbers, spreadsheets, and systems to make decisions, not just record them
• Can look at a report and notice what's wrong or what's changing, without being told to look for it
• Picks up new software quickly - we use Acumatica ERP; you don't need to know it already, but you should be the type who figures systems out fast
• Domain Knowledge - the part we're happy to teach
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or related field - or equivalent experience that tells the same story
• Two or more years working with computer systems, including MS Office
• Procurement, purchasing, or vendor-facing experience is a real plus, but we'll hire the right thinker over the right resume keyword

WORK ENVIRONMENT & SCHEDULE

• Location: St. Louis office
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, standard business hours
• Travel: Minimal - occasional vendor visits possible
• Reports to: Supply Chain Leadership

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive pay commensurate with experience
• Health, vision & dental insurance starting day one
• Company cell phone
• Paid time off & accrued personal time
• Tuition reimbursement
• Long-term & short-term disability coverage
• Generous holiday schedule
• Teladoc, SurgeryPlus & other medical benefits
• Growth paths into senior procurement, category management, or supply chain analytics roles

Who Thrives In This Role

• You're someone who:
• Gets restless doing the same task the same way forever - you want to find a better process, not just run the existing one
• Doesn't need every answer handed to you - you'll dig, ask, and make a defensible call
• Actually enjoys the puzzle of getting the right material to the right place at the right time
• Wants to be known by name, not by employee number - and is comfortable with leadership actually knowing your work

READY TO APPLY? If you're the kind of person who gets curious about why something broke instead of just fixing it and moving on, we want to talk to you. Send us your resume and tell us about a time you figured something out that nobody asked you to figure out.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Tech Electronics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position.

Must be able to pass a drug and background screen.