Purchasing Associate

AO Swag • Coppell, TX

2d

About The Position

AO Swag is a custom apparel and merchandise company specializing in high-volume wholesale, corporate, and collegiate programs. We partner with brands, universities, and organizations to design, produce, and deliver custom product at scale, requiring close coordination across sales, art, production, logistics, and vendor partners. Role Overview The Purchasing Associate owns pre-production setup and purchase order execution for wholesale and out-of-house production programs. This role works directly with vendors and internal teams to ensure orders are production-ready, accurately priced, and executed on time, while supporting margin targets and operational efficiency. The Purchasing Associate partners closely with Client Program Managers and Sales to translate client requirements into executable orders and manages vendor coordination from quote through delivery.

Requirements

• 2–4 years of experience in purchasing, production coordination, supply chain, or operations
• Strong Excel skills (formulas, lookups, basic analysis)
• High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple timelines
• Clear written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience in apparel, promotional products, or manufacturing
• Familiarity with ERP or order management systems
• Experience working with domestic and/or overseas vendors
• Exposure to vendor sourcing, quoting, or cost negotiation
• Experience working within collegiate or sports licensing environments.

Responsibilities

• Own pre-production setup and issue purchase orders for wholesale, custom, and out-of-house production programs
• Verify order specifications including quantities, pricing, decoration methods, timelines, and shipping requirements
• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for assigned vendors and decorators
• Track production progress, flag risks or constraints, and coordinate changes or reorders as needed
• Own strategy and troubleshooting
• Request, compare, and evaluate vendor quotes based on cost, capacity, quality, and lead times
• Engage directly with vendors on cost and pricing negotiations, balancing margin targets, production requirements, and vendor capabilities
• Maintain vendor pricing files, documentation, and performance notes
• Maintain accurate cost, pricing, and margin data in internal systems
• Ensure POs align with approved quotes and customer pricing
• Support inventory visibility and usage tracking for production programs
• Reconcile discrepancies between purchase orders, invoices, and receipts
• Track shipments and delivery timelines and resolve shipping or delivery issues
• Ensure accurate freight documentation, packing lists, and invoices
• Partner with Sales, Client Program Managers, Art, Production, and Accounting to support smooth handoffs and execution
• Support spot buys, catalog maintenance, sampling efforts, special projects, and reporting as needed
• Assist with data cleanup, system maintenance, and process documentation
• Provide operational coverage during peak seasons or team absences

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed