Purchasing Manager in Bogart, Georgia at Ulm Automotive LLC

Company: Ulm Automotive

Department: Purchasing

Reports to: General Manager / Chief Financial Officer

Location: Bogart, GA (on-site)

Employment type: Full-time, salaried, exempt; paid weekly

Direct reports: Inventory Specialist and Warehouse Associate

Position Summary

The Purchasing Manager makes sure every part for every vehicle is on the shelf, at the right price, before the build needs it. Ulm upfits new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans into luxury passenger vehicles and sells them wholesale to dealerships. Every vehicle is built from a released bill of material covering seating and climate systems, electrical components, trim and finishes, hardware, and outsourced services such as paint. Production is ramping now, and material has to arrive ahead of it.

This role owns the supplier base and the buy: it selects and qualifies suppliers, negotiates price and terms, turns the production schedule and the bill of material into purchase orders, and chases every late delivery until it lands. It

leads the Inventory Specialist and works daily with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Accounting. It suits a hands-on purchasing leader who knows the difference between a box price and a piece price and would rather prevent a shortage than expedite one.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Selection and Performance

• Select and qualify suppliers on capability, quality history, delivery, price, and certifications, and keep the approved supplier list current for the Quality Manager's approval. Production parts are bought only from suppliers on the list.
• Negotiate pricing, volume breaks, lead times, payment and freight terms, and warranty support; put key suppliers on written agreements or blanket orders tied to planned volume.
• Qualify second sources for single-source and long-lead parts so no one supplier can stop the line.
• Collect compliance documentation and current installation instructions from suppliers of safety-related components (seating systems, seat belt assemblies, glazing, and fuel-fired heaters) for Engineering before the first receipt.
• Define outsourced work such as paint and fabrication in writing, with acceptance criteria, and confirm it is verified on return.
• Score suppliers on on-time delivery and incoming quality, review them quarterly with the Quality Manager, and replace any that keep missing after corrective action.

Purchase Orders and Material Planning

• Turn the production schedule, base vehicle arrival dates, and the released bill of material into a rolling purchasing forecast, and buy in release blocks so material lands ahead of each block without tying up cash in excess stock.
• Issue a purchase order under the company's standard terms and conditions for every purchase before the supplier ships: part number, quantity, unit of measure, price, revision level, and required date. No verbal orders.
• Check every price against the agreed basis before release: a box, roll, or pack price is never entered as a unit price, and order quantities match the supplier's pack.
• Buy production material only against the released bill of material; no part is added or substituted without an approved Engineering Change Order.
• Keep shop supplies and consumables (adhesives, abrasives, tape, cutting tools, and PPE) on par levels so the floor never waits.
• Expedite late orders before they become shortages, and report open orders, expected receipts, and shortages against the production schedule every morning.

Cost Control and Systems

• Keep item data accurate in Katana, the company's inventory and production management system, and in QuickBooks: part numbers, suppliers, units of measure, prices, lead times, and reorder points.
• Track material cost per vehicle against the bill of material standard monthly, explain every variance, and bring cost-reduction ideas to Engineering as change orders.
• Plan large commitments (blanket orders, deposits, and prepayments) with the Controller against the cash forecast, within the CFO's approval limits.
• Work with Accounting on new supplier setup (credit applications, W-9s, and payment terms) and on the three-way match of purchase order, receipt, and invoice; settle price and quantity differences before payment.
• Apply the company's sales tax position: materials that go into the vehicle are bought for resale under the supplier's copy of the resale certificate, which only the CFO signs; shop supplies, tools, and equipment are taxable unless the CFO directs otherwise.

Receiving and Inventory

• Lead the Inventory Specialist, and run receiving with Material Control so every delivery is checked against its purchase order and booked into inventory the same day.
• Quarantine damaged or nonconforming material under the nonconforming product procedure, and settle returns and credits with the supplier.
• Set reorder points and safety stock by part class, with the tightest control on high-value and safety-related parts, and support the Controller's cycle counts.
• Keep the stockroom organized, labeled, and secure, and flag slow-moving and obsolete stock for disposition.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of purchasing experience in manufacturing, including 2+ years running purchasing for a plant, product line, or production program.
• Material planning in discrete manufacturing: bills of material, production schedules, lead times, and reorder points.
• Hands-on MRP or ERP and accounting system experience, and advanced Excel (lookups, pivot tables, and purchasing forecasts).
• A record of negotiated savings and supplier improvement, shown in numbers.
• Precision with units of measure, pack sizes, and prices: catches a box price entered as a piece price before the order goes out.
• Clear, firm communication with suppliers and with Production, Engineering, and Accounting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automotive, specialty vehicle, or upfit purchasing experience, including safety-related components and their compliance documentation.
• Experience with Katana or a similar cloud MRP system, and with QuickBooks Online.
• ASCM CPIM or CSCP (formerly APICS), or ISM CPSM certification.
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, or engineering.
• Experience buying through a production ramp, including freight and landed cost.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.

Competencies

Cost discipline: knows the landed cost of every part and treats every price change as a decision, not a surprise.

Accuracy: part number, unit of measure, and price are right the first time.

Planning: sees the shortage three weeks out and fixes it before it reaches the floor.

Supplier partnership: firm on price, delivery, and quality, and fair enough that good suppliers want the business.

Integrity: deals with suppliers at arm's length, discloses any conflict, and accepts nothing that could look like influence.

Success in the First 12 Months

90 days: Every part on the released bill of material has an approved supplier, a current price in the right unit of measure, and a lead time in Katana. All production buying runs on purchase orders, and shortages are reported every morning.

6 months: Supplier scorecards are reviewed quarterly with the Quality Manager, critical single-source parts have second sources, material cost per vehicle is tracked monthly, and every safety-related component has its compliance documentation on file.

12 months: No build has stopped for lack of purchased material, material cost per vehicle is at or below standard, inventory accuracy meets the company's target, and purchasing keeps pace with planned volume without constant expediting.

Physical & Work Environment

Office-based at the Bogart facility, with daily time on the production floor, at the receiving dock, and in the stockroom (PPE required in designated areas). Occasional supplier travel and lifting up to 25 pounds.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary range: $95,000 to $105,000, commensurate with experience

Annual performance bonus: discretionary, based on company and purchasing results

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off and holidays; professional certification support (ASCM, ISM)

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ulm Automotive, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.