Position Overview | The Big Picture

The industrial buyer is responsible for sourcing and purchasing hard goods and ensuring that the organization obtains high-quality products at the best possible prices. The Industrial Buyer collaborates with the Sales and Production departments to ensure all events have the products needed. Reports to and receives direction from the Controller and functions independently, relying on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish assigned tasks and goals. 

Traits for Success | #thepriceisright

• Adept at sourcing materials.
• Keen eye for design aesthetics and upcoming trends.
• Negotiation Skills
• Ability to leverage pricing and discount options.
• Attention to detail.
• Organized to a fault.

Essential Duties | What You’ll Do - The Fun Stuff

• Evaluating suppliers based on factors such as quality, reliability, cost, and delivery capabilities.
• Managing inventory levels to ensure adequate stock availability while minimizing excess or obsolete inventory.
• Effective communication is essential for collaborating with the Sales and Production departments in a timely fashion.
• Works to solve any problems with product or availability with a positive attitude, tact, and diplomacy, to achieve the best possible outcome. 
• Provides excellent internal and external customer service.
• Follows up on arriving products with Processing and Receiving departments.
• Procures travel and freight reservations to ensure costs are minimized and within budget
• Calculates freight utilization for incoming trucks and optimizes costs. Requests from Logistics the dates and amount of freight by pick up and enforces pick up cut off times and other pickup requirements according to negotiated contracts.
• Develop processes to inform Buyers and Sales on changing product availabilities.
• Recommends process changes to improve productivity, efficiency, safety, and quality.
• Research new purchasing supply chains and vendors; establish and maintain relationships with new and existing vendors.
• Attends tradeshows to research and purchase new products. 

Other Duties and Safety Requirements | There’s More!

• Compliance with all department and company safety guidelines, procedures, and rules. 
• Mentors safe work practices to co-workers and team.
• Completes all safety training as directed and within established timelines.
• Interfaces professionally with all people, internal and external, in a kind and respectful manner.
• Tracks and enters time and assigns hours and tasks to appropriate events and jobs in the time and attendance system. 
• Completes all Human Resources and Payroll tasks and notifications through the Employee Self Service 
• Online Portal weekly, as directed and within established timelines. 
• Assists in other departments as needed and directed.
• May perform other duties as required.

Qualifications | What You Need to Bring

• 3 years’ experience in hard goods purchasing (particularly in a creative or event décor industry).
• Excellent computer skills and Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly Excel.
• Excellent math skills: ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Excellent decision-making, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to deal effectively with a diversity of individuals at all organizational levels. 
• Excellent interpersonal, tact diplomacy, and conflict management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent ability to deal with pressure, competing demands, and deadlines.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and good follow-up skills.
• Knowledge of event management software a plus.
• Project management experience desired.
• Knowledge of event/floral design is helpful.
• Some travel required.

Physical and Work Environment Requirements | What it is Like in the Office

• Ability to use a computer 95% of the workday.
• Ability to sit up to 95% of the workday.
• Ability to walk 5% of the workday.
• Required to move throughout the buildings during the workday.
• Must be able to tolerate moderate noise.
• Must have 20/20 vision with correction.