Associate Buyer

Responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and managing assigned product categories, including identifying and acquiring new products in collaboration with Marketing. Negotiates with national and regional suppliers to secure competitive product costs, favorable payment terms, advertising and promotional funding, vendor credits, freight considerations, rebate programs, show incentives, and other financial agreements that improve category profitability and sales performance. Evaluates supplier proposals, conducts cost analyses, and develops internal product costing structures to support pricing, margin, and merchandising objectives. Maintains strong supplier relationships while holding vendors accountable for service, delivery, quality, and compliance requirements. Supports category and program management responsibilities, including assortment planning, product lifecycle management, inventory alignment, and execution of promotional initiatives. Serves as a primary liaison among suppliers, internal teams, stores, and customers to resolve issues, maintain operational continuity, and drive profitable category growth through effective supplier partnerships and strategic sourcing. The role will focus on developing new and optimizing existing sourcing strategies, improving procurement processes, and establishing performance measures to evaluate Procurement's effectiveness and business impact. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong relationship-building skills, business acumen, and a customer-focused mindset while fostering continuous improvement and cross-functional collaboration. Procurement Strategy Develop and execute short- and long-term procurement strategies aligned with enterprise objectives. Partner with business leaders to create category strategies that reduce costs, mitigate risk, and support profitable growth. Support strategic sourcing initiatives and complex, high-value procurement projects. Identify opportunities to improve supplier performance, reduce costs, and increase operational efficiency. Maintain strong relationships with strategic suppliers and ensure alignment with business needs, service expectations, and risk-mitigation strategies. Cross-Functional Partnership & Impact Develop strategic partnerships with Finance, Marketing, Category Development, Pricing, Store Operations, In-Store Experience, and store teams to identify cost-saving and value-creation opportunities. Establish performance metrics to evaluate supplier results, category performance, and Procurement's impact on the broader business. Align procurement and category strategies with profitability, working capital, inventory, and other business objectives. Characteristics Collaborative and team-oriented, with the ability to work effectively across functional departments and prioritize overall company objectives. Ability to interpret complex information and communicate clear facts, financial implications, and recommended actions. Strong critical-thinking, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Proactive and results-oriented, with the ability to overcome obstacles and manage projects from initiation through completion. Demonstrates integrity, sound judgment, professionalism, and accountability. Maintains high standards of accuracy, thoroughness, and quality. Ability to manage multiple priorities, business needs, and deadlines. Flexible and comfortable operating in situations where information may be incomplete or priorities may change. Specific Job Responsibilities Manage assigned North American product categories, including Painter Tools, Drywall Tools, and Drywall Compounds, representing approximately $60 million in annual category volume. Negotiate product costs and establish internal product costing to support pricing, margin, and m