Purchasing Manager

Position Summary

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for leading purchasing activities in support of production schedules, customer requirements, inventory goals, supplier performance, and overall business objectives. This role manages the purchasing function to ensure materials, components, equipment, and services are sourced at the best overall value while meeting quality, delivery, and cost expectations.

The Purchasing Manager works closely with Program Management, Planning, Production, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Finance, and suppliers to resolve material shortages, supplier issues, pricing concerns, account discrepancies, and delivery risks. This position requires strong leadership, sound business judgment, supplier management experience, and the ability to make effective decisions in a fast-paced contract manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage purchasing activities to support production schedules, customer commitments, and inventory requirements.
• Oversee buyer performance, workload priorities, supplier follow-up, purchase order execution, and material shortage resolution.
• Review and analyze material buy lists, MRP requirements, production schedules, supplier lead times, and inventory levels to ensure purchasing actions align with business needs.
• Ensure purchase orders, purchase requisitions, change orders, and requests for quote are processed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Manage supplier relationships and serve as an escalation point for delivery issues, pricing concerns, quality issues, nonconforming material, and account discrepancies.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, delivery terms, supplier agreements, and other purchasing conditions to achieve the best overall value.
• Coordinate purchasing activities with Program Management, Planning, Production, Engineering, Quality, Sales, and Finance.
• Monitor supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, and overall reliability.
• Develop and maintain supplier relationships, evaluate supplier competitiveness, and identify new or alternate supply sources when needed.
• Support material availability through effective purchasing practices, including just-in-time purchasing, economic order quantity planning, inventory control, and shortage management.
• Expedite, reschedule, or escalate materials as needed to meet production and customer requirements.
• Ensure material standards are met and that substitutions, variances, or nonconformances are properly reviewed and approved.
• Lead cost analysis, volume planning, sourcing reviews, and cost reduction initiatives for assigned commodities, components, equipment, and services.
• Identify and recommend cost-saving opportunities, alternate sourcing options, and make-versus-buy recommendations.
• Maintain and improve purchasing data accuracy, including supplier records, quote tables, part parameters, supplier codes, and purchasing reports.
• Review purchasing error reports, supplier performance data, shortage reports, and other key metrics to drive improvement.
• Monitor assigned subcontractors and suppliers to ensure performance meets cost, schedule, quality, and scope requirements.
• Support Sales, Program Management, and leadership with pricing, sourcing strategy, customer quoting, and contract negotiations as needed.
• Develop purchasing procedures, best practices, and process improvements to improve department efficiency and supplier performance.
• Provide accurate, prompt, professional, and courteous support to internal and external customers.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of purchasing, supply chain, or procurement experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 2 years of purchasing leadership, supervisory, or team lead experience preferred.
• Experience in contract manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, PCBA, or a similar production environment strongly preferred.
• Experience purchasing electronic components, mechanical parts, assemblies, equipment, services, or production-related materials preferred.
• Previous experience working with ERP/MRP systems required.
• Experience managing supplier performance, production shortages, cost reduction efforts, and purchasing escalations required.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Strong understanding of purchasing, procurement, supply chain, material planning, and inventory control processes.
• Working knowledge of contract manufacturing and electronics/PCBA manufacturing preferred.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to guide, support, and hold purchasing team members accountable.
• Ability to read and interpret MRP demand, material reports, purchase history, supplier quotes, production schedules, and inventory data.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage supplier relationships and resolve complex purchasing or delivery issues.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions with limited direction.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent communication skills with suppliers, internal departments, customers, and management.
• Strong attention to detail, follow-through, and sense of urgency.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, with strong Excel skills required.
• Must be able to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience sourcing electronic components in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting aerospace, medical, defense, or other high-reliability manufacturing industries.
• Familiarity with supplier scorecards, supplier corrective actions, cost reduction tracking, and commodity management.
• Experience with component shortages, lifecycle management, obsolete parts, alternate sourcing, and long-lead-time material planning.
• Experience developing purchasing metrics, reports, processes, and department improvement plans.

Work Environment

This role operates in both an office and manufacturing environment and requires regular interaction with suppliers, internal departments, production teams, and management. The Purchasing Manager must be comfortable managing changing priorities, urgent material needs, supplier escalations, production deadlines, and customer-driven requirements.