What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Purchasing position at Hooker Furniture?
Director of Purchasing
Hooker Furnishings Corporation is seeking a strategic and experienced Director of Purchasing to lead and transform procurement operations across our domestic upholstery manufacturing facilities. Celebrating its 100th year in business, Hooker Furnishings is a leading designer, marketer, and importer of case goods, leather furniture, and fabric-upholstered furniture for the residential, hospitality, and contract markets.
This role will have oversight over multiple sites and requires flexibility to travel between locations in Virginia and North Carolina as needed.
Position Overview:
This high-impact leadership role is responsible for driving purchasing strategy, optimizing vendor relationships, and building a solid operational foundation across multiple manufacturing plants. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in the furniture industry, especially in fabric sourcing, and will be energized by the opportunity to step into an evolving environment with significant opportunities for improvement and impact. We’re looking for a hands-on leader who can create clarity and structure, developing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and scalable processes that support long-term growth. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys building systems, leading change, and making a meaningful difference in an established but growing organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Leadership & Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, multi-site purchasing team. Drive alignment, accountability, and collaboration across facilities.
- Furniture Industry Expertise: Apply deep understanding of furniture manufacturing—especially fabric procurement—to build strategic supplier partnerships and align with production needs.
- Process Creation & SOP Development: Establish and implement purchasing SOPs, documentation standards, and best practices to bring consistency and clarity to the procurement function.
- Supplier Management: Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with suppliers to achieve the best combination of cost, quality, service, and reliability.
- Multi-Plant Oversight: Manage procurement operations across our plants located in Bedford, VA and Hickory, NC locations, ensuring alignment and efficiency across teams and facilities.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with operations, production, planning, inventory, and finance teams to ensure materials are sourced, received, and paid for accurately and on time.
- Systems & Data: Leverage ERP tools (preferably Microsoft D365) to track purchasing activities, manage inventory flow, and inform decision-making.
- Change Management: Lead the transformation of a reactive purchasing function into a proactive, strategic operation. Bring structure to a dynamic setting and drive continuous improvement.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or related field.
- 10 years of purchasing experience in the furniture industry, ideally with a background in fabric procurement.
- Experience developing SOPs and formal processes in growing or transitioning environments.
- Proven leadership experience overseeing purchasing functions across multiple plant locations.
- Excellent negotiation, supplier relationship, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Proficient in ERP systems (Microsoft D365 preferred) and data analysis.
- Self-starter with a calm, solutions-focused approach who enjoys improving systems and leading through change.
- Willingness to travel as needed across locations in Virginia and North Carolina.
Why should you apply?
- A company dedicated to fostering a welcoming and supportive workplace where all individuals are valued and respected
- Competitive compensation and bonus plan
- Successful and stable organization for over 95 years
- Multinational, global organization with 11 locations in the US and offices in Vietnam and China
- Strong corporate initiatives to continue to grow the organization
- A culture that encourages forward-thinking, team-building and creative problem solving
- Career development focus including training opportunities and leadership development programs
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Emphasis on charitable giving and volunteering in our communities
- Focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance)
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision plans including a generous employer health saving account (HSA) contribution each plan year
- Matching 401k employer contributions
Pay: Based on experience.
