SUMMARY: At S.P. Richards, the Supply Chain team is pivotal in aligning purchasing operations with merchandising strategies to enhance sales and inventory efficiency. The Purchasing Manager leads a team of buyers and analysts, developing and implementing supply chain purchasing strategies to achieve the company's objectives for service levels, inventory turns, sales, and gross margin. This position demands strong leadership skills, analytical acumen, and a comprehensive understanding of supply chain management. It offers a dynamic opportunity to drive innovation within S.P. Richards' supply chain operations, significantly contributing to the company's ongoing success and commitment to excellence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to synchronize purchasing strategies with merchandising, sales, and distribution goals.
• Lead and mentor a team of buyers and analysts, fostering professional growth and high performance.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key suppliers to ensure alignment with company standards and objectives.
• Develop and implement strategic purchasing plans that align with corporate objectives.
• Analyze market trends and internal data to inform purchasing decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Drive initiatives to optimize inventory levels, enhancing turn rates and reducing overstock.
• Partner with IT to leverage technology for improved purchasing analytics and reporting.
• Coordinate with field leadership to adjust inventory strategies in response to business developments.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of purchasing strategies.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to enhance supply chain processes and performance.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Manage a team of 6-8 buyers and supply chain analysts, fostering a collaborative environment to achieve targeted supply chain goals. 
• Mentor and develop direct reports, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth. 
• The Purchasing Manager exhibits effective delegation of service-related tasks to direct reports while serving as an escalation point when direct reports need assistance. 

QUALIFICATIONS  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

COMPETENCIES:

Strategic Decision-Making

Leadership and Development

Dedication to Operational Excellence

Customer Focus

Analytical Reasoning

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Financial Acumen

Results-Driven Mindset

Work Environment/Safety

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE 

Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university.   Certification in APICS Supply Chain Management or similar credential preferred.  A minimum of 3-5 years of supply chain experience.  

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.   Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS 

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.  Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

REASONING ABILITY 

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and use hands and fingers to handle or feel.  The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms talk and hear.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.   Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Travel required 5% to 10%.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. 

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.