Purchasing Specialist

About the role

We are looking for a Purchasing Specialist to support procurement operations for a manufacturing environment. This long-term contract position is ideal for someone who can balance supplier communication, purchasing accuracy, and cost-conscious decision-making while helping maintain steady material flow. The role will work closely with internal teams and external vendors to improve purchasing performance, support inventory transactions, and contribute to reliable on-time delivery.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate productive supplier partnerships and manage ongoing communication to keep orders on schedule and resolve issues quickly.
• Evaluate supplier options and negotiate pricing, delivery timelines, service levels, and product quality to secure the best overall value.
• Assess freight, shipping, and rush-order costs as part of sourcing decisions and total purchase analysis.
• Prepare and submit purchase orders from quotation details within the company ERP system, ensuring all entries are accurate and complete.
• Monitor supplier quality and performance trends and share updates with leadership to support informed vendor management decisions.
• Work alongside the Purchasing Manager to help meet departmental performance targets related to quality, on-time delivery, and purchase order accuracy.
• Review purchasing data and broader market activity to identify savings opportunities and strengthen sourcing strategies.
• Support shipping and receiving tasks such as preparing shipments, processing inbound inventory, and recording required certification documentation in the system.
• Coordinate with the finance team to confirm invoiced inventory has been properly received and entered, and follow up with vendors when invoice and PO details do not align.
• Handle sensitive business information appropriately while maintaining clear, responsive communication with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting purchasing, procurement, or supply chain operations, preferably in a manufacturing setting.
• Working knowledge of purchase order processing, supplier communication, and day-to-day purchasing activities.
• Ability to negotiate effectively with vendors while balancing cost, delivery, quality, and service considerations.
• Proficiency with ERP or similar business systems for entering and tracking purchasing and inventory transactions.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to maintain accurate records, documentation, and order information.
• Comfortable collaborating across purchasing, finance, shipping, receiving, and management teams.
• Ability to analyze data, compare sourcing options, and identify practical opportunities for process improvement or cost savings.
• All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Benefits

• Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance.
• Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan.
• Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information.