Purchasing & Inventory Specialist

EDUCATORS RESOURCE INC•Semmes, AL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Educators Resource is a leading national wholesale distributor of educational, office, and fine art supplies serving schools, retailers, and institutions across the United States. For nearly 50 years, we have built our reputation on exceptional service, operational excellence, and strong relationships with our customers and vendor partners. We are looking for a Purchasing & Inventory Specialist to help ensure we have the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time. This role combines purchasing, inventory management, vendor coordination, and supply and demand planning to support product availability while maintaining appropriate inventory levels. The ideal candidate brings relevant purchasing or inventory experience, good organizational and problem-solving skills, an aptitude for working with data, and a willingness to learn. We value individuals who demonstrate initiative, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach to their work.

Requirements

Analytical, organized, dependable, and comfortable interpreting purchasing, sales, and inventory data to support sound business decisions.
Ability to manage multiple priorities.
Ability to communicate effectively with vendors and coworkers.
Demonstrate accuracy and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, with the ability to organize and review purchasing and inventory data.
Willingness to further develop analytical skills.
Comfortable learning our purchasing, inventory, and materials management systems.
Strong problem-solving skills.
Attention to detail.
Ability to follow through on issues from identification through resolution.
Demonstrate initiative, accountability, sound judgment, and a willingness to learn.
Takes ownership of responsibilities and works collaboratively to support team and company objectives.

Nice To Haves

One to three years of experience in purchasing, inventory management, or a related inventory-driven environment is preferred.
Experience in wholesale distribution is a plus.
An associate's degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related field is preferred, although relevant experience may be substituted for formal education.
Familiarity with inventory planning concepts such as lead times, reorder points, safety stock, minimums, and maximums is preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage purchasing and inventory activities for assigned product lines.
Work closely with vendors and internal teams to anticipate inventory needs, maintain appropriate stock levels, and address supply issues before they impact our customers.
Evaluate inventory needs, make purchasing decisions, place purchase orders, and monitor inventory performance using sales history, inventory levels, supplier lead times, seasonal trends, and the company's materials management system.
Balance product availability with responsible inventory investment.
Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Finance, Distribution, and Purchasing to communicate supply concerns, resolve issues, and improve purchasing and inventory processes.
Review sales and inventory data, determine replenishment needs, place and manage purchase orders, and monitor inventory across multiple warehouse locations.
Maintain inventory planning parameters, including reorder points, lead times, safety stock, minimums, and maximums.
Monitor product performance, identify slow-moving or excess inventory, and recommend adjustments to improve inventory turnover and manage inventory investment.
Develop strong vendor relationships, monitor supplier performance, and follow up on open orders to resolve shortages, back-orders, shipping delays, order discrepancies, and other supply issues.
Communicate potential supply concerns to internal teams.
Prepare purchasing and inventory reports.
Work collaboratively to find solutions that support our customers and business objectives.