Purchasing Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for leading the procurement functions across Clean Control Corporation and affiliated business units. This includes and is not limited to planning, directing, and coordinating the procurement of raw materials, packaging, ingredients, finished goods, maintenance supplies, equipment, and indirect materials required to support company operations. This position ensures cost-effective purchasing practices while maintaining quality standards, appropriate inventory levels, and uninterrupted production. The Purchasing Manager partners with Manufacturing, Production Planning, Warehouse, Quality, Finance, Research and Development, Maintenance, and Executive Leadership to strengthen supplier performance, improve procurement processes, manage risk, and support growth. The role will also support purchasing integration and supplier consolidation associated with current and future business expansions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Sourcing and Procurement

• Develop and execute purchasing strategies aligned with company objectives, production requirements, and growth plans.
• Source, evaluate, select, and manage suppliers based on quality, cost, service, capacity, reliability, and risk.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, payment terms, lead times, freight terms, and service expectations.
• Lead competitive bid processes and identify cost-reduction, value-engineering, and supplier-consolidation opportunities.
• Monitor market conditions, commodities, tariffs, transportation impacts, and other factors affecting cost or availability.

Inventory and Material Planning

• Collaborate with Operations and Production Planning to support forecasted material requirements and support production schedules.
• Maintain inventory levels that support customer and operational needs while reducing excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
• Monitor purchasing demand, lead times, safety stock, reorder points, inventory turns, and material availability.
• Address shortages, expedite critical materials, and develop contingency plans for supply interruptions.

Supplier Performance and Compliance

• Establish supplier performance measures for quality, delivery, responsiveness, service, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead supplier reviews and coordinate corrective actions involving shortages, nonconforming materials, delivery failures, or pricing discrepancies.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure suppliers meet specifications, documentation requirements, and applicable regulatory or food-safety expectations.
• Maintain approved supplier records, contracts, pricing documentation, certificates, and purchasing files.
• Lead and maintain supplier relationships

Cross-Functional and Growth Support

• Support new product development, product changes, packaging changes, and commercialization through timely sourcing and cost analysis.
• Partner with Finance on budgets, forecasts, purchase price variance, working capital, and spend analysis.
• Support procurement due diligence and integration for acquisitions or new business units.
• Identify opportunities to leverage combined purchasing volume and standardize suppliers, materials, terms, and processes across Clean Control and affiliated companies.
• Ability to see beyond the scope of procurement, including suggesting improvement to cross functional areas.

Systems and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate purchasing data in the company’s ERP and related systems.
• Develop and monitor purchasing reports, key performance indicators, and supplier scorecards.
• Ensure purchasing activities comply with company policies, approval requirements, internal controls, and recordkeeping standards.
• Lead improvements in purchasing workflows, system use, reporting, automation, and department procedures.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• May supervise Buyers, Purchasing Coordinators, Procurement Specialists, or related personnel as the department grows.
• Provide direction, training, coaching, workload planning, and performance feedback to assigned team members.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Finance, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five years of progressive purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment with positive outcomes.
• Experience negotiating supplier agreements and managing raw materials, packaging, ingredients, finished goods, or indirect spending.
• Experience with inventory planning, forecasting, ERP systems, and data analysis.
• Leadership experience and experience supporting multiple facilities or business units preferred.
• Experience in chemical, packaging, consumer products, food, confectionery, or other regulated manufacturing environments preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong negotiation, supplier management, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Working knowledge of procurement, contract administration, inventory control, material planning, and supply chain best practices.
• Ability to analyze spend, pricing, forecasts, inventory, supplier performance, and total cost of ownership.
• Strong financial and business acumen with attention to cost, cash flow, risk, and operational impact.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel skills.
• Excellent organization, communication, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, multi-company manufacturing environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and represent the company professionally with suppliers.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, and move through office, manufacturing, and warehouse areas as needed.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to travel periodically to supplier locations, company facilities, and business units.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed primarily in an office environment with regular interaction in manufacturing and warehouse areas. The employee may be exposed to noise, moving equipment, varying temperatures, and other conditions customary to a manufacturing and distribution environment. Required personal protective equipment must be worn in designated areas.