Position Summary

The Purchasing Manager – Electromet owns the end-to-end procurement function at the facility, ensuring the right materials arrive at the right time, at the right cost, to keep production uninterrupted. This role blends hands-on execution — PO placement, supplier follow-up, ERP data integrity — with strategic responsibility for spend analysis, supplier negotiation, and market intelligence, and with people leadership through coaching and developing buying staff. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical instincts, real fluency in metals markets, and the coaching mindset to build a purchasing team that catches problems early rather than reacts to them late.

Key ResponsibilitiesPurchasing Execution & ERP Management

• Place, expedite, and manage purchase orders across raw materials (aluminum, steel, stainless, and related metal inputs), MRO, and indirect spend categories
• Maintain accurate, real-time data in the ERP system — open PO status, lead times, pricing, vendor records — as the facility's single source of truth
• Monitor and resolve PO discrepancies, delivery exceptions, and invoice/PO mismatches before they become production risk
• Own purchasing-module data hygiene: eliminate duplicate vendor records, correct miscoded parts, enforce consistent naming conventions

Inventory & Usage Monitoring

• Monitor material usage and consumption trends against forecast/BOM requirements to catch variances early
• Partner with production and planning to right-size safety stock and reorder points, balancing carrying cost against stockout risk
• Support cycle counting and inventory accuracy programs — treat discrepancies as something to root-cause, not just correct

Strategic Sourcing & Market Analysis

• Bring working knowledge of metals markets — LME pricing, regional premiums (e.g., Midwest Premium), mill lead times, and how tariff and trade policy flow through to landed cost
• Analyze spend data to identify consolidation opportunities, pricing outliers, and negotiation leverage across suppliers
• Benchmark current pricing against distributor and market indices to flag when the facility is paying above or below market
• Build and maintain supplier scorecards covering delivery, quality, pricing, and responsiveness

Supplier Relationship Management

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and delivery commitments with new and existing suppliers
• Lead or support supplier business reviews (QBRs), holding vendors accountable to committed KPIs
• Qualify and onboard new suppliers in line with corporate Approved Supplier List (ASL) standards
• Manage single-source and sole-source risk with documented mitigation and backup-supplier plans

Team Leadership & Coaching

• Coach, develop, and hold accountable a team of buyers/purchasing staff, building bench strength and succession readiness
• Set clear individual performance expectations tied to measurable KPIs (OTD, PPM, PO acknowledgment turnaround)
• Foster a culture of ownership — buyers who escalate problems early rather than let them become production emergencies
• Partner cross-functionally with Corporate Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations leadership on shared initiatives
• Measure team against defined KPIs

QualificationsRequired

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or related field (equivalent experience considered)
• 5+ years of purchasing/procurement experience in a manufacturing environment
• 2+ years in a leadership or coaching capacity, formal or informal
• Hands-on ERP experience (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Epicor, or similar) — a daily power user, not just a data-entry participant (Mietrak experience a plus)
• Strong Excel and data-analysis skills; comfortable building and interpreting spend reports, pricing trends, and supplier scorecards
• Demonstrated negotiation experience with measurable cost-savings outcomes

Preferred

• Background in metals purchasing (aluminum, steel, stainless) — familiarity with mill order minimums, lead times, and alloy/gauge-specific pricing dynamics is a strong plus
• Experience with supplier qualification processes and Approved Supplier List (ASL) management
• APICS/ASCM or CPSM certification, or actively pursuing one
• Experience supporting or participating in cycle counting and inventory accuracy programs

Core Competencies

• Analytical rigor — digs into the data to find the real story, rather than accepting a supplier's explanation at face value
• Coaching mindset — genuinely invested in developing the team, not just directing tasks
• Ownership — treats “not my PO” as a rare exception, not a default response
• Clear communication — can explain a pricing or supply issue to a buyer on the floor and to a GM in a review meeting, in language each one needs
• Composure under pressure — production doesn't stop for a supply hiccup, and neither does this role

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Primarily office-based within a manufacturing facility; regular presence on the production floor required
• Some travel required for supplier visits, audits, or corporate meetings
• Standard office equipment; ability to sit or stand for extended periods and occasionally lift up to 25 lbs (e.g., sample materials, documentation)

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Prescription drug insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person