PURCHASING MANAGER

POSITION SUMMARY

The Purchasing Manager leads the purchasing function and team in support of manufacturing operations. This leadership role sets priorities, develops buyers, and oversees purchasing activity to ensure materials, components, and services arrive on time, at the right cost, and to specification. The role also includes some hands-on purchasing, with the manager personally issuing purchase orders, handling critical buys, and stepping in to support the team as needed. The Purchasing Manager is accountable for team performance, supplier on-time delivery, purchase price variance, accurate ERP/MRP purchasing data, and compliance with company, customer, and regulatory purchasing requirements. The ideal candidate is a proven people leader with a strong manufacturing purchasing background who builds capable teams, holds them accountable, and is willing to roll up their sleeves when needed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the purchasing team; set priorities, assign workload, and hold team members accountable to clear performance expectations.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance reviews, and goal setting; identify training needs and build bench strength within the team.
• Recruit, hire, and onboard purchasing staff, and plan staffing levels to meet current and future business needs.
• Build a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement within the department.
• Represent Purchasing in production, planning, and leadership meetings, communicating material status, risks, and priorities.

Department Management & Oversight

• Oversee daily purchasing activity to ensure purchase orders are placed, confirmed, and expedited in time to support production schedules.
• Review open orders, past-due lines, and shortages with the team; set recovery plans and escalate issues as needed.
• Establish, document, and enforce standard purchasing procedures, approval workflows, and authority levels.
• Review and approve purchase orders, pricing, and terms within delegated authority.
• Partner with Production Planning, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to align purchasing with build schedules, engineering changes, and new product introductions.

Hands-On Purchasing

• Issue purchase orders, including obtaining quotes, negotiating pricing and terms, and confirming delivery dates with suppliers.
• Personally handle critical, complex, or high-value purchases and key supplier negotiations.
• Step in to support buyer workload during peak demand, absences, or urgent shortages.
• Serve as the escalation point for difficult supplier, pricing, and delivery issues.

Supplier Management

• Manage relationships with key suppliers, including pricing, lead times, and terms.
• Monitor supplier on-time delivery and quality performance, and work with Quality to drive corrective actions.
• Support approved supplier list maintenance and identify alternate sources when needed to resolve supply issues.

Systems, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure the team maintains accurate ERP/MRP purchasing data, including lead times, pricing, supplier records, and open order status.
• Track and report purchasing KPIs including Supplier On-Time Delivery, Purchase Price Variance, Past-Due POs, Material Availability, and Cost Savings.
• Provide purchasing status updates and analysis to senior leadership.
• Lead improvements to purchasing processes, cycle times, and costs.

Compliance & Quality

• Ensure purchase orders flow down all applicable quality, customer, and contract requirements.
• Ensure compliance with ITAR, export control, government contract, and customer-specific requirements in all purchasing activities.
• Maintain purchasing documentation and records in an audit-ready condition, and support internal, customer, and third-party audits.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 5+ years of purchasing or procurement experience in a manufacturing environment, including 3+ years supervising or managing a purchasing team.
• Proven track record of hiring, coaching, and developing employees and managing team performance.
• Strong working knowledge of MRP-driven purchasing, purchase order management, and expediting, with the ability to step in and buy when needed.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to read and interpret bills of material, engineering drawings, and purchase specifications.
• Excellent communication, cross-functional collaboration, and conflict resolution skills.
• Must be a US Person in accordance with ITAR regulations.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field.
• Experience in a defense, electronics, or regulated manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of government contract flow-down requirements and ISO 9001 purchasing controls.
• Professional certification such as ASCM CPIM or ISM CPSM.