National Purchasing Manager

About KB Home

KB Home is one of the largest and most recognized homebuilders in the United States and has built over 670,000 quality homes in our 65 plus year history. Today, KB Home operates in 47 markets from coast to coast. At KB Home, people are our foundation. We build strong, personal relationships with our customers to ensure they have a real partner in the homebuying process. Our employees are the heart and soul of our company and are driven by a shared culture of customer obsession guided by our focus on sustainability providing a beneficial impact on the world. When you join KB Home, you become part of a team that is passionate about making the dream of homeownership a reality for families across America. Come be a part of our team! Learn more.

JOB SUMMARY: The Manager, National Procurement supports the corporate strategy of reducing costs through enhanced relationships with suppliers, optimizes the supply chain, leverages the company’s consolidated spend and drives the implementation and change process for the company-wide sourcing strategy.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Estimating and Cost Reduction

• Lead take-off and cost unbundling efforts; identify take-off issues and develop solutions
• Teach internal divisional purchasing teams how to create consistent guidelines for take-offs and train them on how to subsequently get accurate estimates and transparency from trade partners based on take-offs
• Conduct field audits on material usage through jobsite audits
• Lead value engineering ideation and efforts with the local division teams
• Drive consistency in product usage throughout the company
• Work with divisions and centralized purchasing administration to maximize incentive collections
• Analyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability
• Assist divisions in analyzing trade partner proposals to ensure they are in line with take-offs and low-cost efforts
• Work closely with divisions to ensure direct costs are consistent with initial bids and estimates
• Oversee cost changes and negotiate when necessary

Procurement Management

• Develop product pricing guidelines (category specific), ensure accurate and competitive pricing across category, and audit pull through pricing
• Collaborate with National Contracts leadership to establish purchasing goals that support the business plan and evaluate design changes and options offerings
• Coordinate activities of company personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies
• Source input from division regarding Trade Partner performance and facilitate resolution related to field delays or issues to meet cycle time goals; resolves contract issues with Trade Partners
• Monitor and communicate performance issues with trades, price and product changes, and strategy-impacting variables (i.e., supply chain issues and availability) to division purchasing leadership
• Responsible for strategic plans for estimated homebuilding contracts values above $40-90M
• Assist with recruiting large vendor and trade base to meet divisional objectives
• Facilitate New Product implementation by creating training plans and being a reference point for the divisions for the new products

Strategic Sourcing

• National management of supplier relationships (cost, quality, productivity, service, concerns) with sustainability guidelines and efforts in mind
• Source vendors of materials, equipment, and supplies and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales
• Identify opportunities to leverage national, regional, and divisional volume and establish course of action
• Ensure each division is aligned with National contracts, sourcing strategy, initiatives, and directives
• Ensure all national manufacturers and distributors meet company guidelines for insurance and credit worthiness
• Collaborate with divisions and suppliers for solutions to performance/product availability challenges and implement improvement plans to monitor progress
• Facilitate problem resolution related to nationally contracted products based on everchanging tactical issues of KB Home supply chain

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education/Certifications/Licenses

• Bachelor’s Degree is preferred in Business, Construction Management, Procurement, Engineering, or related discipline

Experience

• 5 years of related work experience in purchasing, procurement and/or construction management
• Estimating and supply chain experience is required
• Prior experience in Real Estate industry preferred, ideally in residential homebuilding

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Construction knowledge preferred either in residential, multi-family, or commercial real estate
• Strong problem-solving abilities and able to recommend and communicate their proposed resolutions
• Self-directed; takes initiative, proactively addresses problems, able to work with minimal oversight; strong project management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and outstanding Customer Service skills
• Ability to influence key leaders across the organization and to take a coaching/training-first approach to implement effective change throughout the organization
• Strong written/verbal communication skills; ability to communicate effectively with confidence and professionalism
• Ability to manage conflict and resolve problems in a professional manner
• Ability to handle the stress of dealing with the public and making decisions in a high-volume fast-paced work environment.
• Daily contact with other departments, subcontractors and outside sales representatives
• Effective negotiating skills
• Analytical; with the ability to give, receive, analyze information, and interpret complex issues in order to determine the root problem and make effective decisions to bring the issue to a successful conclusion
• Highly organized and flexible; with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines, often with frequent interruptions and changing circumstances, in a high-volume fast-paced work environment
• Team player; with demonstrated ability to work within cross-functional teams
• Good leadership skills; ability to motivate and direct a professional staff
• Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, & Power Point), Estimating software such as, PlanSwift/MeasurePro, Homebuilder 1
• Construction experience is beneficial with the ability to read and understand blueprints
• Sound judgment and a high level of integrity
• Accurate; with keen attention to detail in every aspect of the job

Work Requirements

• Conduct business in a professional and ethical manner to KB coworkers, trade partners, reinforcing goodwill and profitability for the company.
• Up to 50% domestic travel required
• Position will be located in Phoenix, AZ with the opportunity to work onsite when required and remotely in hybrid form as confirmed with management

Find out why KB Home is attracting and retaining the best employees! If you are interested and qualified, please apply now. KB Home provides above average compensation packages and earnings potential, full benefits, an outstanding 401K matching program, bonus plans and amazing promotional opportunities.

KB Home and its affiliates do not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies (collectively, "Recruiters") in response to job postings. If Recruiters nevertheless submit one or more unsolicited resumes to any employee at KB Home or its affiliates without a valid written agreement in place for recruiting services, such resumes will be deemed the sole property of KB Home and its affiliates. No fee will be owing or paid to Recruiters who submit unsolicited candidate resumes, in the event any such candidate is hired by KB Home or its affiliates as a result of the submittal, without a valid written agreement between the Recruiter and KB Home.

KB Home is an Equal Opportunity Employer.