Purchasing Lead, Supervisor

Avtron Power Solutions, LLC•Cleveland, OH

6d•$80,000 - $95,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Purchasing Lead / Supervisor is responsible for leading the day-to-day purchasing function while actively managing strategic procurement activities to ensure uninterrupted material availability, supplier performance, cost competitiveness, and operational excellence. This role provides leadership, coaching, and direction to the purchasing team while serving as the escalation point for critical supply issues. The Purchasing Lead / Supervisor collaborates closely with Planning, Warehouse, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to ensure procurement activities support production schedules, inventory objectives, and customer commitments. This position requires a proactive leader capable of balancing strategic supplier management with hands-on execution, driving accountability, improving processes, and developing a high-performing purchasing organization.

Requirements

5+ years of purchasing experience within a manufacturing environment.
Minimum 2 years of leadership or team lead experience.
Experience managing suppliers supporting engineered or manufactured products.
Experience with ERP systems (SAP Business One preferred).
Strong understanding of MRP-driven purchasing.
Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
Procurement & Purchasing
MRP Planning
SAP Business One
Supplier Relationship Management
Inventory Management
Cost Analysis
Supply Chain Management
Strategic Sourcing
Contract Negotiation
Supplier Performance Metrics
Excel (Advanced)
Leadership and Coaching

Nice To Haves

Power BI (preferred)

Responsibilities

Lead, supervise, and develop the purchasing team to achieve departmental objectives.
Establish daily priorities and workload balancing across Buyers.
Provide coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback.
Foster accountability and continuous development within the purchasing organization.
Serve as the primary escalation point for supplier-related issues impacting operations.
Promote a collaborative "One Team" culture across Supply Chain and Operations.
Manage assigned suppliers and strategic commodities.
Ensure timely placement and execution of Purchase Orders supporting production and customer demand.
Review MRP recommendations and validate purchasing actions before release.
Maintain appropriate order coverage while minimizing excess inventory.
Monitor supplier confirmations and ensure delivery commitments are accurately maintained within SAP Business One.
Coordinate purchasing priorities based on changing production requirements.
Develop strong working relationships with key suppliers.
Monitor supplier performance through measurable KPIs.
Lead supplier business reviews and performance improvement initiatives.
Resolve delivery, quality, pricing, and service issues.
Coordinate supplier corrective actions when performance expectations are not achieved.
Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation and strategic sourcing.
Ensure purchased materials are available to support production schedules.
Monitor critical shortages and implement recovery plans.
Collaborate with Planning to prioritize procurement activities.
Lead shortage review meetings as required.
Escalate supply risks before production interruptions occur.
Support annual cost reduction initiatives.
Participate in supplier negotiations for pricing, payment terms, and commercial agreements.
Analyze market conditions affecting purchased materials.
Identify opportunities for cost savings without compromising quality or service.
Support budgeting and forecasting activities related to purchase materials.
Ensure purchasing transactions are accurately maintained in SAP Business One.
Maintain supplier master data.
Monitor purchasing parameters to optimize procurement performance.
Ensure Purchase Orders accurately reflect pricing, quantities, lead times, and delivery dates.
Support continuous improvement of ERP purchasing processes.
Partner closely with: Master Planning, Production Planning, Warehouse Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Customer Service, Logistics and Finance to support operational execution and business objectives.
Improve purchasing processes through Lean principles.
Standardize purchasing procedures and best practices.
Develop departmental KPIs and dashboards.
Implement process improvements that increase efficiency and reduce waste.
Lead root cause investigations for recurring procurement issues.
Support digital transformation initiatives within Supply Chain.
Identify supply chain risks before they impact operations.
Develop contingency plans for critical suppliers.
Monitor supplier capacity, financial stability, and geopolitical risks.
Maintain business continuity strategies for key materials.
Support dual sourcing and supplier diversification initiatives.
Build a high-performing purchasing team.
Establish clear expectations and accountability.
Conduct regular one-on-one meetings.
Complete annual and quarterly performance evaluations.
Develop training plans for Buyers.
Encourage cross-training and succession planning.
Recognize high performance while addressing performance gaps promptly.