Purchasing Manager

Regular Full Time

New Castle, DE, US

Requisition ID: 2046

Purchasing Manager

Operational leadership role with a defined path toward enterprise purchasing leadership

Position Summary

The Purchasing Manager leads the day-to-day execution of purchasing and inventory management activities across United Electric Supply. The role translates business priorities into effective buying decisions, balanced inventory levels, reliable supplier performance, and consistent support for branches and customers. The Purchasing Manager coaches the purchasing team, strengthens operating discipline, and collaborates with sales, operations, logistics, product specialists, and finance to improve service, working capital, and profitability.

Primary Focus Team leadership, purchasing execution, inventory performance, supplier management, process discipline, and cross-functional service.

Essential Functions

• Leads, coaches, and develops the purchasing team; sets clear priorities, monitors workload, reinforces accountability, and builds bench strength through cross-training and development planning.

• Executes purchasing and inventory strategies established with senior leadership, translating company goals into daily buying priorities, replenishment decisions, and measurable team objectives.

• Maintains balanced inventory levels that support customer demand while reducing excess, slow-moving, and obsolete inventory.

• Reviews demand, usage, open orders, lead times, backorders, stock-outs, transfer opportunities, and branch requirements to improve product availability and inventory productivity.

• Manages supplier performance related to delivery, quality, service, reliability, lead times, and responsiveness; resolves routine issues and escalates material risks with recommended actions.

• Builds productive vendor relationships and negotiates pricing, freight, payment terms, minimums, order quantities, delivery commitments, and other operating terms within approved authority.

• Monitors market conditions, manufacturer actions, product availability, pricing trends, and supply-chain disruptions; communicates impacts and recommends timely purchasing actions.

• Recommends major or forward purchases based on anticipated price changes, unusual availability, customer commitments, and inventory risk; supports the financial and operational analysis required for approval.

• Partners with sales, branch leadership, product specialists, warehouse teams, logistics, operations, and finance to resolve shortages, backorders, excess inventory, delivery issues, and customer service concerns.

• Supports all branch locations with purchasing, inventory control, product availability, and replenishment decisions.

• Monitors vendor rebate and incentive programs, tracks purchasing compliance, identifies risks to attainment, and communicates opportunities to responsible stakeholders.

• Supports company-endorsed product lines, with primary focus on AD manufacturers, and helps align purchasing behavior with approved supplier strategies.

• Develops and maintains purchasing procedures, approval controls, reporting disciplines, and consistent work standards; recommends improvements and ensures approved changes are implemented.

• Identifies opportunities to streamline purchasing workflows, improve system use, reduce manual work, and strengthen the accuracy and timeliness of purchasing data.

• Produces and reviews weekly and monthly purchasing and inventory reports, explains significant variances, and follows through on corrective actions.

• Establishes practical performance measures for the team, including service levels, backorders, inventory health, supplier performance, purchase-price outcomes, and process compliance.

• Participates in cross-functional projects, quality initiatives, and steering committees as assigned.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Leadership and Decision Rights

• Owns daily purchasing execution and team workload management within approved policies, supplier strategies, inventory parameters, and financial authority.

• Makes routine supplier, replenishment, and inventory decisions; brings high-value, high-risk, long-term, or enterprise-wide commitments forward with analysis and a clear recommendation.

• Creates a consistent, service-oriented culture that balances customer needs with margin, inventory investment, and operational risk.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in purchasing, inventory management, supply chain, distribution, or a related discipline; electrical distribution experience is preferred.

• Prior experience leading, coaching, or coordinating the work of others.

• Strong negotiation, supplier-management, analytical, and decision-making skills.

• Ability to interpret demand, inventory, pricing, rebate, lead-time, and supplier-performance data and convert findings into action.

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications and business systems used for purchasing, inventory, reporting, and analysis.

• Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgment, urgency, organization, and a collaborative approach.

Core Competencies

• Business and financial acumen

• People leadership and coaching

• Negotiation and supplier management

• Inventory and demand analysis

• Operational execution and follow-through

• Continuous improvement

• Cross-functional communication

• Customer and branch focus

• Judgment, accountability, and results orientation

Commitment to Safety

• Adheres to all United Electric health, safety, and environmental policies and reinforces safe work practices within the team.

• Acts in a safe and positive manner and addresses conditions or behaviors that could place employees or others at risk.

• Promptly reports witnessed safety or health incidents in accordance with company requirements.

Growth Path Toward Director of Purchasing

Successful performance in this role can prepare the incumbent for broader purchasing leadership. Development should progressively include enterprise strategy, long-term supplier partnerships, major contract negotiations, annual purchasing plans, companywide inventory policy, executive-level reporting, and ownership of cross-functional initiatives that materially affect growth, margin, working capital, and supply continuity.

Acknowledgment

Employee signature confirms understanding of the position requirements, essential functions, and responsibilities. Duties may change as business needs evolve, with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer.