Purchaser
Skywater is seeking an experienced, strategic Purchasing Specialist to lead the purchasing functions of a rapidly expanding custom manufacturer. This role will build upon an existing purchasing framework while also, due to growth of the organization, require you to improve purchasing processes, sourcing strategies, expand vendor options and vendor management systems while running the day to day procurement functions
You will coordinate heavily with manufacturing, engineering, and the planner to source materials for multiple concurrent projects with customized BOMs, timelines, and vendor requirements. This person will also play a key part in a new ERP system implementation.
Primary categories include metals, electrical and controls parts, hydraulic and fluid power components, automation and industrial equipment components, as well as outsourced services at times.
Responsibilities
- Review engineering bills of materials to determine purchasing requirements for each custom job, including materials, components, consumables, shop supplies, tooling, and MRO items.
- Identify long-lead items early, issue purchase orders, confirm lead times, and track deliveries to protect project schedules and ensure on-time material availability.
- Coordinate closely with operations and engineering on job scheduling, vendor communication, specialty sourcing, and make-vs.-buy decisions to align purchasing activity with production needs.
- Analyze historical purchasing data to identify supplier consolidation, volume discounts, blanket order opportunities, and recurring category savings.
- Conduct competitive bidding and evaluate alternative vendors, materials, or specifications to reduce cost without compromising quality or performance.
- Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and vendor payment optimization opportunities, including early payment discounts and credit card payment options where financially advantageous.
- Maintain and expand a qualified vendor base by scouting new suppliers, evaluating vendor capabilities, and developing reliable sourcing options for custom builds.
- Implement vendor scorecards, monitor supplier performance, manage relationships professionally, and resolve delivery, receiving, or quality issues.
- Design and implement purchasing policies, templates, workflows, and ERP processes to bring structure and consistency to the purchasing function.
- Partner with engineering and operations to drive parts standardization, improve purchasing efficiency, and recommend process improvements with clear business impact.
- Provide budgetary material cost estimates, lead time data, and sourcing input to support engineering during the quoting process.
- Build and maintain a reference database of commonly purchased items, current pricing, and lead time risks to improve quote accuracy before customer submission.
Desired Skills and Experience
- 7+ years of purchasing experience in manufacturing, preferably in fabrication, ETO environments, or a custom job shop
- Advanced ERP system experience, preferably with a new implementation
- Demonstrable experience improving and/or building purchasing processes
- Demonstrable cost savings experience with strong negotiation skills
- Strong organizational skills to be able to manage 6+ concurrent projects
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and BOMs
- Ability to work independently and self-directed
- 2 year or 4 year degree preferred, but not required.
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ABOUT SKYWATER SEARCH
Start with your Short List
Led by a group of seasoned search industry professionals, SkyWater Search Partners brings new focus to a novel concept, “Short List Search.” Our purpose is to leave a lasting impression on the clients we serve by providing individuals who will make a measurable difference in their business. We strive to consistently deliver great results to our clients in a very timely manner.
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Founded on long-standing relationships and hundreds of successful placements throughout the Twin Cities business community, SkyWater Search Partners is a proven resource for clients and candidates looking to quickly and confidently explore their “short list” of best choices. Count on us to find the best people – and the best fit.
