Purchasing Lead

Who we are: TigerTough is a family-owned company that runs on corporate principles. We're all-in on American manufacturing and we're building a brand that blue-collar Americans can be proud of. TigerTough is dedicated to providing premier products and great customer service. And it takes a team to do that. A diverse, inclusive workforce that focuses on teamwork and not individuals.

Job Summary: The Purchasing Lead is responsible for the company's day-to-day purchasing activities and ensuring that materials, supplies, and services are purchased at the appropriate quality, price, and timing to support company operations. This position manages purchasing activities from identifying purchasing needs through purchase order placement, vendor coordination, delivery follow-up, and invoice resolution. The Purchasing Lead is also responsible for establishing new vendors, maintaining vendor relationships, negotiating pricing and terms, and identifying opportunities to improve purchasing efficiency and reduce costs. The Purchasing Lead works closely with Planning, Production, Distribution, Accounting, and other departments to ensure materials and supplies are available when needed.

Manager: Senior Supply Chain Manager

Base Annual Salary: $87,000 ($3,346.15 bi-weekly)

Benefits: 80 hours of PTO, 10 paid holidays, 401k match, 100% employer paid health insurance for employee.

Schedule: This full-time, on-site position in Oakdale is Monday - Friday, 40-hour work week.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Purchasing

• Review purchasing requirements and determine when materials and supplies need to be ordered.

• Prepare, issue, and maintain purchase orders.

• Purchase materials, supplies, equipment, and services in accordance with company requirements.

• Monitor open purchase orders and follow up on expected delivery dates.

• Identify and address shortages, delays, backorders, and other purchasing issues.

• Verify pricing, quantities, specifications, and delivery requirements.

• Coordinate, as a point of contact, with Accounting and Senior Supply Chain Manager to resolve purchasing and invoice discrepancies and/or issues.

Vendor Management

• Identify and evaluate potential new vendors.

• Establish and maintain new vendor accounts in company systems.

• Obtain quotes and compare pricing, quality, lead times, and terms.

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, freight, lead times, and other purchasing conditions within established authority.

• Maintain positive and professional relationships with existing suppliers.

• Monitor vendor performance related to quality, delivery, pricing, and service.

• Address supplier performance issues and work with vendors to resolve problems.

• Seek alternate suppliers when appropriate to improve cost, quality, availability, or delivery.

Inventory and Material Availability

• Monitor inventory requirements and purchasing needs.

• Receive shipments of non-production items as required.

• Work with Planning and Production to anticipate material requirements.

• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while avoiding unnecessary inventory.

• Identify potential material shortages and communicate concerns promptly.

• Identify obsolete, excess, or slow-moving inventory and recommend disposition.

Cost Management

• Monitor material and supply costs.

• Identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.

• Compare supplier pricing and negotiate competitive terms.

• Maintain accurate purchasing records and pricing information.

• Communicate significant cost changes to management.

Purchasing Structure and Processes

• Build, document, and own purchasing SOPs, approval workflows, and purchasing policies.

• Set and manage reorder points, safety stock levels, and lead-time data in the company's ERP system.

• Create and run a vendor scorecard covering on-time delivery, quality, and cost.

• Own the accuracy of vendor and item master data in the ERP system.

• Define, track, and report purchasing KPIs to the Senior Supply Chain Manager.

• Standardize purchasing practices across the organization.

• Maintain organized purchasing records and documentation.

Cross-Functional Responsibilities

• Work closely with Planning to understand production requirements.

• Work with Production to address material availability issues.

• Coordinate with Distribution regarding incoming materials and deliveries.

• Work with Accounting regarding invoices, pricing discrepancies, and vendor accounts.

• Communicate purchasing issues that may affect production schedules or customer commitments.

• Participate in meetings and projects related to purchasing, inventory, suppliers, and operational improvements.

Qualifications:

Required

• 3+ years of experience in purchasing, buying, or procurement in a manufacturing or distribution environment.

• Experience purchasing production materials.

• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

• Ability to prioritize multiple purchasing requirements.

• Experience negotiating supplier pricing and terms.

• Experience establishing and managing vendor accounts.

• Experience with inventory management.

• Experience with an MRP/ERP system.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong purchasing and supplier management skills.

• Ability to analyze pricing, lead times, and purchasing requirements.

• Ability to develop and maintain effective vendor relationships.

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

• Ability to work independently and take ownership of responsibilities.

• Ability to communicate effectively with employees, suppliers, and management.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of pricing, vendor, and company information.

• Ability to identify potential purchasing problems before they affect operations.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, and move throughout the facility as needed.

• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods.

• Ability to occasionally lift or move materials or documents weighing up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

This position works primarily in an office environment but will regularly interact with manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution operations. The position may require occasional travel to meet with suppliers or attend business-related meetings.

Sewn Products LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.