Purchasing Specialist

We are looking for a detail-oriented Purchasing Specialist to support manufacturing procurement activities in Washougal, Washington. This contract to permanent position will oversee sourcing, vendor coordination, and purchase order management for complex product lines in a fast-paced production environment. The role requires strong judgment in supplier selection, cost analysis, and delivery planning while working closely with operations and finance teams to keep materials flowing efficiently.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain productive supplier partnerships, leading negotiations on pricing, lead times, service levels, and overall performance.
• Manage end-to-end procurement for assigned manufacturing programs, coordinating material needs from individual machined parts through larger assemblies.
• Prepare requests for quotation, compare supplier proposals, and place accurate purchase orders based on production and project requirements.
• Evaluate freight options, logistics constraints, and urgent shipping needs to identify practical and cost-effective sourcing decisions.
• Establish blanket orders and support long-range supplier agreements that improve material availability and contribute to savings initiatives.
• Track vendor quality, delivery results, certifications, and other purchasing metrics to help drive continuous improvement.
• Work with department leadership to support goals tied to on-time delivery, purchasing accuracy, quality standards, and supplier performance.
• Coordinate receiving and shipping documentation, process inventory-related transactions, and help maintain accurate material records.
• Partner with finance and suppliers to resolve discrepancies involving invoices, purchase orders, and inventory balances.
• Experience supporting purchasing or procurement functions within a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of purchase order creation, supplier communication, and day-to-day purchasing operations.
• Ability to review quotations, compare costs, and make sound sourcing decisions based on timelines and business needs.
• Familiarity with supplier performance tracking, vendor documentation, and procurement record accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across high-volume purchasing activities.
• Effective communication skills for collaborating with suppliers and internal teams such as operations and finance.
• Proficiency with business systems used for purchasing transactions, reporting, and inventory-related updates.