Director of Purchasing

Jendco Safety Supply Inc.•Columbus, OH

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Jendco Safety Supply is seeking a Director of Purchasing to lead their purchasing organization. This role is responsible for developing and executing purchasing strategies to support company growth, inventory objectives, and customer service. The Director will manage supplier relationships, purchasing operations, forecasting, and inventory planning, collaborating with Sales, Finance, Warehouse, and Operations. The ideal candidate is a strategic, analytical, and collaborative leader who can drive operational excellence and build a scalable purchasing organization. This position focuses on strengthening supplier relationships, supporting profitability, and enhancing the customer experience.

Requirements

Seven or more years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience.
At least three years leading teams in a distribution, manufacturing, or industrial environment.
Proficiency with ERP systems, purchasing technologies, Microsoft Office, and business reporting tools.
Understanding of how purchasing decisions impact inventory, customer service, profitability, and long-term business success.
Ability to coach, develop, and empower others while creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Ability to establish strong partnerships with suppliers and internal stakeholders built on trust, communication, and mutual success.
Ability to leverage data, reporting, and forecasting to make informed business decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.
Ability to proactively identify challenges and develop practical solutions that improve efficiency and reduce risk.
Ability to work effectively across departments and understand the importance of alignment throughout the organization.
Ability to balance strategic initiatives with day-to-day operational priorities.
Continuous ability to talk or hear.
Frequent ability to sit, stand, walk, use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands or arms.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute purchasing strategies that align with company goals, inventory objectives, and customer demand.
Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships while negotiating pricing, payment terms, contracts, and service agreements.
Lead supplier performance reviews and utilize vendor scorecards to improve quality, service, reliability, and cost effectiveness.
Partner with Sales, Inventory Control, and Operations to forecast demand, optimize inventory investments, and support product availability.
Lead, coach, and develop the Purchasing team while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators including fill rate, purchase order accuracy, lead times, inventory turns, and supplier performance.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives across purchasing processes, workflows, reporting, forecasting, and automation.
Ensure accurate and consistent use of NetSuite while improving purchasing workflows and reporting capabilities.
Partner with Sales, Finance, Warehouse, Inventory Control, and Operations to support promotions, new product launches, inventory optimization, and business planning.
Oversee purchasing activities, purchase order approvals, exception management, and supplier issue resolution to ensure business continuity.
Identify supply chain risks and proactively develop solutions that minimize disruption to customers and operations.
Support strategic initiatives, special projects, and other business priorities that contribute to Jendco's continued growth.