Purchasing Agent

Job Description – Purchasing Agent

Position Summary

The Purchasing Agent / Procurement Manager reports directly to the Controller and is responsible for sourcing, purchasing, coordinating, and expediting materials, equipment, subcontracted services, and outside processing required to support complex structural steel fabrication projects. This position works closely with estimating, project management, production, quality control, accounting, operations, and executive leadership to control costs, maintain schedules, support AISC quality requirements, and ensure accurate procurement documentation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Generate accurate purchase orders from approved requisitions, bills of material, project requirements, estimates, and management direction.
• SOURCE AND PROCUREMENT
• Source and procure structural steel, plate, shapes, pipe, miscellaneous metals, fasteners, welding consumables, coatings-related materials, shop supplies, equipment, freight, outside processing, and subcontracted services.
• CORPORATE COORDINATION
• Cookordination with estimating to obtain vendor and subcontractor pricing during bid phases, including materials, freight, outside processing, coatings, galvanizing, and specialty services.
• Negotiation
• Negotiate pricing, delivery terms, lead times, and payment terms with suppliers, vendors, subcontractors, and service providers.
• TRACKING AND EXPEDITING
• Track open purchase orders, confirm vendor acknowledgments, monitor delivery commitments, and expedite critical materials to support production schedules.
• QUALITY MANAGEMENT
• Identify, qualify, and maintain reliable suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors capable of supporting complex steel fabrication work.
• BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
• Build and maintain relationships with mills, steel service centers, fastener suppliers, coating providers, galvanizers, machine shops, trucking companies, equipment suppliers, and specialty subcontractors.
• EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT
• Evaluate vendor performance based on cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, documentation, and overall reliability.
• Maintain vendor files, contact information, insurance certificates, tax documentation, qualification records, and other required compliance documents.
• Support continuous improvement of the approved vendor list, purchasing procedures, and supplier performance standards.
• QUALITY CONTROL
• Coordinate with Quality Control to obtain and verify material certifications, mill test reports, traceability documentation, receiving records, and supplier compliance documents.
• CONFIRMATION AND DOCUMENTATION
• Confirm that purchased materials and services meet applicable contract documents, drawings, specifications, approved submittals, and company quality procedures.
• IDENTIFY AND REPORT
• Identify and report incomplete, nonconforming, or questionable vendor documentation.
• RECORDS MAINTENANCE
• Maintain procurement records required for internal audits, external audits, project closeout, and quality compliance.
• JOB COSTING
• Achieve accurate job costing by properly coding purchase orders, vendor invoices, credit card purchases, freight costs, and subcontractor expenses.
• INVOICE REVIEW
• Review vendor invoices against purchase orders, quotes, receiving records, and approved pricing before accounting approval.
• INVOICES AND DISPUTES
• Resolve invoice discrepancies, pricing conflicts, tax issues, delivery disputes, and purchase order variances with accounting, project management, production, and vendors.
• STANDARD UNIT COSTS
• Establish and maintain standard unit costs for recurring materials, supplies, fabricated components, and commonly purchased items as needed.
• INVENTORY CONTROL
• Support inventory control, material tracking, reorder planning, and cost reporting as required.
• COMMUNICATION
• Communicate professionally with vendors, subcontractors, internal departments, and management staff to ensure accurate and timely procurement execution.
• VENDOR COMMITMENTS AND DECISIONS
• Maintain written records of vendor commitments, pricing changes, scope clarifications, delivery updates, and procurement decisions.
• COORDINATION AND SUPPORT
• Coordinate with shipping, receiving, production, quality control, and field operations to support material availability and project execution.
• URGENT NEEDS AND DELIVERIES
• Handle urgent purchasing needs, schedule changes, expedited freight, and time-sensitive procurement issues with accuracy and urgency.