Purchasing Manager

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly organized Purchasing Manager to oversee purchasing operations for our smoke, vape, tobacco, and related wholesale product categories.

The Purchasing Manager will be responsible for managing vendor relationships, negotiating pricing and terms, maintaining appropriate inventory levels, monitoring product performance, coordinating purchase orders, and ensuring the company has the right products available at the right cost.

This role requires strong analytical skills, industry awareness, negotiation ability, and the ability to make purchasing decisions in a fast-moving wholesale environment where product demand and market trends can change quickly.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage purchasing activities for smoke, vape, tobacco, accessories, and other wholesale product categories.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with manufacturers, distributors, and vendors.
• Negotiate product pricing, discounts, payment terms, freight terms, promotional support, and other purchasing agreements.
• Create, review, and approve purchase orders based on inventory levels, sales trends, forecasts, and business needs.
• Monitor inventory to prevent excessive overstock, product shortages, and unnecessary purchasing.
• Analyze product sales, margins, inventory movement, and purchasing history to support buying decisions.
• Identify high-performing, slow-moving, and discontinued products and adjust purchasing strategies accordingly.
• Research new products, brands, and market trends within the smoke and vape industry.
• Evaluate potential vendors and products based on pricing, quality, demand, reliability, and profitability.
• Coordinate product launches, new vendor onboarding, and initial inventory purchases.
• Maintain accurate vendor, product, pricing, and purchasing records.
• Review invoices and purchasing discrepancies and work with vendors and internal departments to resolve issues.
• Monitor vendor performance, including fulfillment accuracy, lead times, product availability, and pricing consistency.
• Work closely with warehouse, sales, accounting, and management teams to coordinate purchasing and inventory needs.
• Assist with forecasting seasonal demand, promotions, and major company sales events.
• Monitor product margins and identify opportunities to improve purchasing costs and overall profitability.
• Ensure purchasing decisions comply with company policies and applicable product restrictions or regulatory requirements.
• Provide management with regular updates regarding inventory, purchasing activity, vendor issues, and product opportunities.
• Supervise or support purchasing staff as needed.
• Perform additional purchasing, inventory, and operational duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in purchasing, procurement, inventory management, wholesale distribution, or a related field.
• Purchasing experience within the smoke, vape, tobacco, convenience, or similar wholesale industry is strongly preferred.
• Strong negotiation and vendor-management skills.
• Strong understanding of inventory management and product profitability.
• Ability to analyze sales trends, inventory levels, pricing, and margins.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and make purchasing decisions based on available data.
• Ability to manage multiple vendors, products, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and inventory or purchasing software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Existing relationships with smoke, vape, tobacco, or accessory manufacturers and distributors.
• Experience purchasing for a wholesale or distribution operation.
• Knowledge of vape devices, disposable products, e-liquids, tobacco products, smoke-shop accessories, and related categories.
• Experience with inventory forecasting and demand planning.
• Experience reviewing gross margin, inventory turnover, and product performance.
• Experience managing or training purchasing staff.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate is proactive, analytical, and commercially minded. This person should be able to recognize buying opportunities while also understanding when not to purchase.

We are looking for someone who can balance product availability with inventory control, negotiate effectively with vendors, identify emerging products and trends, and make purchasing decisions that support both sales growth and profitability.

Success in this position requires strong follow-through, good judgment, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced wholesale environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics.

Pay: $52,000.00 - $54,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person