Purchasing Supervisor (86482)

The Gill Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of honeycomb, high-performance floor panels, cargo compartment liners, and original equipment for passenger and freighter aircraft. The company also excels in many other types of reinforced plastics, including interior sandwich panels for aircraft galleys and bulkheads, honeycomb core, and related products.

About the role

This position leads the daily activities of the purchasing team to ensure uninterrupted supply of materials while achieving company objectives for cost, quality, delivery, inventory, and customer satisfaction. The Purchasing Supervisor supervises buyers, manages supplier performance, supports SAP-driven procurement processes, and partners with Planning, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, coach, and develop Buyers and Purchasing Coordinators.
• Assign workloads and establish team priorities.
• Review and approve purchase orders and ensure timely procurement of production and indirect materials.
• Develop strong supplier relationships and support negotiations, long-term agreements, and supplier performance improvement.
• Coordinate with Planning to resolve shortages and support production schedules.
• Design, implement, and manage internal and external Kanban systems to optimize material replenishment and minimize stockouts.
• Utilize SAP to manage purchasing activities, MRP recommendations, supplier master data, and reporting.
• Utilize Excel and data analytics tools (including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and advanced formulas) to analyze purchasing trends, inventory data, and supplier performance.
• Support inventory optimization, excess and obsolete reduction, and inventory accuracy initiatives.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Finance on new products, engineering changes, and supplier issues.
• Drive continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives within Purchasing.
• Lead or assist strategic sourcing projects to identify alternative suppliers, mitigate supply chain risks, reduce material costs, and secure localized or secondary sourcing options.
• Manage and execute special supply chain projects as assigned by leadership, such as supplier transition plans, process standardizations, or system upgrades.
• Establish, monitor, and continuously improve purchasing team KPIs aligned with company objectives.
• Review KPI performance weekly and monthly and implement corrective actions.
• Coach and mentor buyers to improve procurement effectiveness.
• Conduct performance reviews and hold team members accountable for measurable goals.
• Report KPI performance to Supply Chain leadership and recommend improvements.
• Other essential duties may be assigned.

Key Performance Indicators

• Supplier On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• Purchase Order Placement Cycle Time
• Past Due Purchase Orders
• Material Shortage Resolution
• Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
• Cost Savings / Cost Avoidance
• Inventory
• Supplier Quality Performance
• Buyer Productivity
• SAP Data Accuracy
• MRP Exception Resolution
• Internal Customer Satisfaction
• Kanban Execution and Pull System Health Metric
• Sourcing and Special Project Milestones (On-Time Delivery of Deliverables and Cost Avoidance Targets)

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field.
• 5–8 years of purchasing experience in a lean manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience.
• Strong hands-on experience with material pull systems, specifically internal and external Kanban deployment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data analytical capabilities, pivot tables, and VLOOKUP functions.
• Proven track record of managing supplier sourcing projects, requests for proposals (RFPs), and cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives.
• SAP MM and MRP experience required.
• Aerospace manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, communication, and leadership skills.

Certain positions may require the ability to obtain and maintain a DOD Secret Clearance. This position requires access to information subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants will be asked to provide specific documentation to verify U.S. person status under ITAR and EAR.