Purchasing Agent

Description:

Farmers & Builders Ace Hardware is looking for a dependable, organized, and analytical Purchasing Agent to help manage purchasing and inventory across our multi-location hardware and building-material operations.

This is an important position within our company. The Purchasing Agent will help ensure our stores have the products they need while controlling inventory investment, reducing stock-outs and excess inventory, and maintaining strong vendor relationships.

Responsibilities:

• Review inventory levels, sales history, and product demand to determine purchasing needs.
• Prepare and submit purchase orders accurately and on time.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels across multiple locations.
• Monitor fast-moving, seasonal, promotional, and special-order merchandise.
• Identify potential stock-outs, overstocks, slow-moving merchandise, and obsolete inventory.
• Communicate with vendors regarding pricing, availability, lead times, shortages, substitutions, and deliveries.
• Verify vendor pricing, discounts, rebates, freight terms, and purchasing programs.
• Work with store managers, operations, sales, and management to coordinate purchasing needs.
• Monitor cost changes and identify opportunities to improve margins and purchasing efficiency.
• Assist with vendor credits, returns, discontinued items, and inventory-reduction efforts.
• Use reports and purchasing data to make informed buying decisions.
• Continually look for opportunities to improve product availability, inventory turns, and company profitability.

Qualifications:

• Previous experience in purchasing, inventory management, retail, wholesale distribution, hardware, lumber, or building materials is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable working with numbers, reports, and inventory data.
• Strong computer skills; Microsoft Excel experience is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of responsibilities.
• Strong judgment, integrity, and follow-through.

Preferred experience: Ace Hardware, hardware retail, lumber, building materials, multi-location retail, or wholesale distribution.

What We Are Looking For:

• Thinks like an owner when spending company money.
• Notices problems before they become emergencies.
• Understands the importance of both strong in-stock levels and responsible inventory investment.
• Questions unusual costs, quantities, or inventory levels.
• Follows problems through until they are completely resolved.
• Communicates clearly with vendors, stores, and management.
• Wants to continually improve purchasing and inventory performance.

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or Eqivalent
• Must pass a national backgound check
• Must be able to pass a drug screen