Purchasing Agent

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title : Purchasing Agent

Classification : Full Time, Salary, Exempt

Location : New Haven, CT

Department : Purchasing

Direct Supervisor : Purchasing Manager

Job Summary : The Purchasing Agent ensures all materials, equipment, supplies, and services meet the company's Quality and Environmental Policy standards. Responsibilities include verifying proper receipt and accounting of orders, managing inventory to ensure timely stock replenishment, and maintaining adequate stock levels. Regular review of stock-keeping units (SKUs) is required to secure high-quality products at competitive prices, while encouraging incumbent suppliers to uphold a competitive edge. This role involves frequent collaboration with internal management and external vendors or contractors through various communication channels, including face-to-face meetings, phone, email, and other media.

Essential Responsibilities :

• Coordinates activities with procuring goods and services, such as raw materials, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, and services, and constantly seeks the highest quality at the best price with an acceptable lead time.
• Manages the procurement process from start to finish, including requests for quotes, writing purchase orders, obtaining proper approvals and submitting purchase orders, receiving orders ensuring accuracy of items received, verifying invoices, and resolving discrepancies.
• Purchases for the plant, including production, maintenance, and the lab. Assists with purchasing for the transportation department across various sites. Occasionally purchases for the sales team, marketing team, HR team, or other departments as necessary.
• Learns and utilizes the Computerized Maintenance System to electronically process purchase orders, track inventory, associate parts with assets, assist with work order parts, and build a database capable of creating synergies across the company.
• Monitors raw materials inventories to ensure materials are ordered in a timely manner and that they meet Company requirements. This includes feedstocks and "in-process" materials.
• Receives bid packages from corporate engineering, reviews them for completeness, and takes them out for bid to approved contractors across various crafts. Reports back to engineering the pricing spread via project-specific documentation.
• Works closely with the plant Planner / Scheduler for kitting and other activities that promote maintenance of facility efficiency.
• Uses corporate volume purchase contracts (e.g., Staples, Amazon) to the fullest extent and encourages their usage across the entire CT Plant Team.
• Routinely performs an inventory of all supply stock and maintains clean and organized parts storage areas.
• Maintains storeroom stock inventory levels and deploys the technique of "ABC Classification" of spare parts.
• Confers with vendors to obtain product or service information such as price, availability, and delivery schedules, with particular attention to materials of construction.
• Negotiates terms and conditions with vendors within the comfort level of the item(s) being procured, including current or discounted pricing favorable to the company, using corporate purchasing systems.
• Investigates alternative shipping methods with vendors to expedite material delivery during emergencies, including, at times, picking up emergency orders from suppliers.
• Tracks purchase orders to detect and resolve issues with outstanding orders.
• Utilizes expertise in various shipping methods such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, including LTL shipments and international shipping.
• Understands Customs procedures and properly executes authorization paperwork to ship materials into and out of the country.
• Assures suppliers, vendors, and contractors are approved and carry the proper insurance coverage to meet Company requirements.
• Maintains a list of contracts and updates it via the plant-specific contract calendar. Monitors the calendar regularly to renew or cancel contracts as needed.
• Follows and understands Purchasing Procedures and makes recommendations to corporate per quality management protocols.
• Monitors trade references and takes action when necessary based on trade reference notices, warnings, etc.
• Maintains a critical material approved vendor list per quality management standards.
• Notifies vendors of non-conforming products and issues a non-conformance report if necessary.
• Collects and appropriately distributes mail within the facility.
• Maintains an active inventory of locker distribution.
• Manages the distribution of uniforms (Vendor / Employee / New / Terminated).
• Attends daily production meetings and reports on purchasing activities.
• Supports the Quality, Health, Safety, Environmental, and Security functions of the facility.
• Maintains a neat working environment and an orderly filing system.
• Occasionally attends offsite training or meetings at the South Kearny or other Company facilities, including the use of a personal vehicle when needed.
• Occasionally works nights or weekends to monitor the quality of service contractors.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Skills / Abilities :

Education and Experience :

Physical Requirements :