Purchasing Manager

What You'll Do

• Lead & Develop a High-Performing Buying Team
• Directly manage, coach, and develop all Category Buyers.
• Set clear expectations, daily priorities, standard work, and accountability measures for the buying team.
• Build buyer capability through coaching, cross-training, development plans, performance conversations, and succession readiness.
• Lead regular buyer huddles focused on service level, forecasting exceptions, vendor issues, shrink risk, and inventory health.
• Ensure backup coverage and continuity across categories.
• Drive Forecasting & Replenishment
• Own replenishment execution and inventory planning across all categories for multiple facilities.
• Hold buyers accountable for forecast review, demand signal interpretation, system exceptions, and replenishment discipline.
• Monitor demand shifts, seasonality, promotions, customer changes, vendor lead times, and service risks.
• Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and replenishment compliance.
• Optimize Inventory Investment and Management
• Optimize inventory investment while maintaining service-level commitments and minimizing inventory carrying costs.
• Monitor turns, days on hand, on-hand inventory, excess inventory, and category-level inventory health.
• Review forward-buy opportunities and ensure purchasing decisions to balance cost savings with inventory risk.
• Support appropriate inventory positioning across distribution locations as the business grows.
• Improve Service Levels & Supply Chain Performance
• Own purchasing service-level performance and drive improvement in fill rate and stockout prevention.
• Identify supply risks early and lead corrective action with buyers, vendors, and cross-functional partners.
• Escalate and resolve vendor or supply disruptions that could impact customer service.
• Reduce Shrink & Obsolescence
• Establish and maintain consistent processes to reduce shrink, spoilage, product aging, and obsolescence.
• Monitor slow-moving, short-coded, aged, obsolete, and at-risk inventory.
• Partner with Sales and Category Management on exit strategies for excess or obsolete inventory.
• Hold buyers accountable for timely action on inventory risk.
• Strengthen Systems & Supplier Performance
• Establish supplier performance scorecards measuring service, fill rate, quality, lead-time reliability, responsiveness, and shortage recovery.
• Partner with buyers to address vendor performance issues and improve supplier accountability.
• Proactively identify and mitigate supply risks that could impact service, inventory availability, shrink, or profitability.
• Develop recovery plans for critical supply disruptions and vendor performance issues.
• Lead Continuous Improvement
• Enhance purchasing processes, workflows, and reporting.
• Identify opportunities to improve service levels, inventory productivity, forecasting accuracy, and buyer effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Transportation, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to support business growth and customer success.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, inventory management, replenishment, demand planning, category management, or a related supply chain function.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, mentor, or develop purchasing professionals.
• Strong knowledge of forecasting, inventory management, supplier performance, and supply chain operations.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with advanced Excel proficiency.
• Ability to make informed decisions in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience with Blue Ridge or similar forecasting and replenishment systems.
• Experience within foodservice distribution, wholesale distribution, or other inventory-intensive industries.
• Strong understanding of item master management, replenishment parameters, lead times, vendor minimums, and order cycles.