Purchasing Manager at Maintainer Corp of Iowa – Sheldon, Iowa

General Responsibility Statement:

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for the acquisition, management, and disbursement of materials and components used by the company in production or its daily operations. Must also work within all safety guidelines.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

1. Production & Materials Planning
Monitors incoming orders and plans material and component requirements to support production schedules. Coordinates closely with operations to ensure alignment between demand, production, and procurement.

2. Inventory Management & Control
Manages inventory levels to meet production needs while minimizing working capital investment. Ensures accuracy and accountability of all materials and components through effective systems and cycle count processes.

3. Strategic Sourcing & Cost Management
Develops and executes sourcing strategies that optimize total cost of ownership. Identifies and implements cost-saving opportunities through supplier negotiations, alternate sourcing, and value engineering initiatives.

4. Supplier Management & Development
Establishes, maintains, and develops strong supplier relationships to ensure reliable access to quality materials on favorable terms. Monitors supplier performance and leads continuous improvement efforts with key vendors.

5. Procurement Execution
Negotiates purchases with suppliers and schedules deliveries to meet production and organizational requirements. Resolves issues related to quality, delivery, and service in a timely manner.

6. Supply Chain Risk Management
Identifies and mitigates risks within the supply chain, including supplier dependency, capacity constraints, and market volatility. Develops contingency plans and secondary sourcing strategies to ensure continuity of supply.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partners with engineering on specifications, new product development, and component selection. Collaborates with operations, finance, and sales to align procurement activities with forecasts and overall business objectives.

8. Budgeting & Financial Performance
Develops and manages purchasing budgets and forecasts. Drives initiatives that improve cash flow, reduce costs, and support company profitability goals.

9. Data, Metrics & Performance Tracking
Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) such as on-time delivery, inventory turns, supplier performance, and cost savings. Uses data analytics to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.

10. ERP, EDI & Process Optimization
Leads the effective use and continuous improvement of ERP/MRP systems to support purchasing and inventory control. Ensures accuracy of key system data including lead times, pricing, supplier records, and bills of material.
Implements and manages EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and other digital integration tools with suppliers to streamline ordering, confirmations, invoicing, and communication.
Drives automation, standardization, and scalability of procurement processes to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance visibility across the supply chain.

11. Systems Integration & Digital Strategy
Evaluates and implements new technologies and tools that improve procurement effectiveness, including supplier portals, forecasting tools, and data dashboards. Champions digital transformation initiatives within the purchasing function.

12. Team Leadership & Development
Supervises purchasing and warehouse staff. Ensures the team is appropriately staffed, trained, and motivated to perform effectively. Promotes accountability, engagement, and professional development.

13. Compliance & Contract Management
Ensures compliance with company policies, legal requirements, and ethical sourcing standards. Reviews and manages supplier contracts and maintains proper documentation for audit readiness.

14. Communication & Organizational Alignment
Ensures effective communication within the department and across all functions to enhance coordination, transparency, and teamwork.

15. Continuous Improvement Culture
Promotes a culture of quality and continuous improvement by engaging the team in problem-solving, process enhancements, and innovation initiatives.

Qualification Requirements:

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

Education, Reasoning Ability, and/or Experience:

Two-year degree is preferred. Five to seven years of previous purchasing/buyer experience in a manufacturing environment is also preferred.

Must have the ability to apply commonsense understanding and carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Also, needs the ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Note: Maintainer reserves the right to forego the formal education in lieu of demonstrating acceptable skill and knowledge of over 5 years of experience.

Communication and Language Skills:

Must have good people and communication skills. Ability to read and comprehend complex instructions, correspondence and memos. Ability to write correspondence. Ability to effectively present information to groups or in one-on-one situations. This includes the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Physical Demands:

Required to stand and use hands and fingers to grasp and hold objects, tools and or controls, likewise reach with arms and hands. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts. The employee is also at times, exposed to fumes and or airborne particles.

Other Skills & Abilities:

Demonstrates strong computer and keyboarding skills. Familiar with all Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, and Outlook. Familiar with Maintainer’s ERP software and associated reports.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Purchasing Manager carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.