Purchasing Coordinator

About Whitmores

Whitmores Inc. offers a unique opportunity for those aiming to work in the landscape industry, for individuals who enjoy the outdoors, and for those who seek to work in a dynamic environment.

Whitmores is a family-owned business that has been operating on the east end of Long Island, NY, since 1945. Our firm specializes in high-end residential landscapes, working for and alongside homeowners, contractors, designers, Landscape Architects, and industry professionals on exciting projects. Our diverse team of experts provides services including design, installation, gardens, maintenance, carpentry, masonry, irrigation, and tree care. Our tree farm has over 200 acres of production fields and includes greenhouses and a container operation.

Position Overview

The Purchasing Coordinator serves as the central buyer and logistics specialist for company-wide procurement, sourcing supplies for internal operations including plant growing facilities and mechanical shop, landscape, maintenance and construction department needs, business office needs, and special orders. Reporting directly to CFO and General Manager , this role manages the end-to-end purchasing workflow—from requisition review and order placement to delivery tracking and cost analysis. The Purchasing Coordinator collaborates closely with all department managers, supervisors, administration and the Finance team to track purchase orders, price fluctuations, quality concerns, secure favorable supplier terms, and ensure all materials arrive accurately and on schedule.

Key Responsibilities

Included but not limited to:

Procurement and Order Execution

• Serve as the primary buyer for operational materials, tools, shop supplies, equipment parts, safety gear, irrigation, masonry, carpentry mechanics, farm/greenhouse and landscape supplies across all company divisions.
• Review daily material requests and job requisitions from Project Managers and Field Supervisors to confirm specifications, quantities, and required site delivery windows.
• Generate, review, and issue purchase orders (POs) using procurement and inventory management systems.
• Reconcile purchase orders against packing slips, shipping manifests, and vendor invoices to resolve discrepancies in billing, backordered items, or damaged shipments.
• Ensure orders are properly allocated to project or department.

Logistics, Tracking, and Job Site Coordination

• Develop and manage an internal requisition system allowing employees to request warehouse materials for advanced staging and pickup.
• Oversee the "pick-and-pack" workflow, ensuring orders are pulled accurately, staged in a designated will-call area, and ready by established cut-off times.
• Maintain real-time inventory accuracy by immediately reconciling pulled and dispatched items within the master inventory management system.
• Coordinate direct vendor drop-shipments to job sites to bypass warehouse processing when more efficient.
• Coordinate material drop-offs directly to active job sites or staging yards in alignment with field crew start times and project deadlines.
• Generate and manage accurate Bills of Lading (BOLs)
• Track open orders and delivery statuses in real time, liaising with suppliers, freight carriers, and local couriers to maintain accurate delivery schedules.
• Proactively communicate supply disruptions, backorders, or shipping delays to project teams and assist in securing approved substitutions or alternative vendors.
• Manage vendor returns, warranty replacements, and credit memos for defective, surplus or incorrect products.
• Manage the return and restocking of unused job/project materials, excess and surplus.

Cost Tracking and Manager Reporting

• Monitor market price trends, commodity fluctuations, and vendor cost changes across building materials, fuels, fertilizers, and supplies.
• Provide regular price fluctuation reports and alerts to Project Managers and Estimators to ensure job cost estimates and client billings remain accurate.
• Source competitive quotes and bids from multiple suppliers to negotiate advantageous pricing tiers, volume discounts, payment terms, and delivery fees.
• Assist department heads with monthly spend reviews, budget tracking, and vendor evaluation metrics.

Vendor Relations and Inventory Support

• Build and maintain productive, professional relationships with local, regional, and national suppliers and distributors.
• Maintain a current catalog of approved vendors, master price sheets, standard lead times, and terms of service.
• Maintain inventory of regularly needed and stocked items in offices, warehouse, and at departmental levels.
• Work alongside Department Managers to monitor reorder points for high-turnover consumable items and avoid inventory shortages.
• Work alongside Department Managers to vet quality of products.
• Continually balance product quality, availability, price and other important factors when determining an order.
• Assist in periodic physical inventory audits and count reconciliations at Company locations including East Hampton, Southampton and Riverhead and at job sites.

Candidate Profile

• 2+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, material coordination, or supply chain logistics, preferably within landscape, construction, nursery, or trade services.
• Practical familiarity with building, landscape, masonry, irrigation, mechanical, or agricultural supplies and equipment.
• Proficiency in procurement software, ERP/inventory tracking systems, and Microsoft Office (especially Excel for tracking costs and order logs).
• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, and priority-setting skills in a fast-paced seasonal environment.
• Solid negotiation and communication skills with the ability to maintain strong vendor partnerships and cross-departmental alignment.
• Proactive problem-solving abilities to resolve shipment delays, expedite urgent requests, and handle job site logistics.
• Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
• Ability to lift, handle, and inspect parcels or materials weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in both an office setting and outdoors in varying weather conditions when inspecting deliveries in the yard

Position Details

This position offers a compensation range of $80,000 - $90,000 per year depending on experience and qualifications.

This is a full time, exempt position.

The position reports to: CFO & GM

The position's primary work location: East Hampton Office & Southampton Office

Fulfilling our mission at Whitmores entails a commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and genuine acceptance. To that end, we will hire, promote, work alongside, cheer for, bond with, and warmly welcome into the Whitmores family all persons without regard to ethnic and racial identity, indigenous heritage, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person