Purchasing Manager, Purchasing Operations

World’s Finest Chocolate•Chicago, IL

22h•$125,000 - $135,000•Hybrid

About The Position

World’s Finest Chocolate does more than make delicious chocolate. Since 1949, we’ve helped our fundraising customers raise over $4,600,000,000! These funds are used to buy playgrounds, pay for reading specialists, purchase musical instruments, fund field trips, and more. Our employees work as a team to support our company’s mission: To Deliver Extraordinary Value with Fun & Purpose. POSITION OVERVIEW: The Purchasing Manager – Purchasing Operations is responsible for executing the day-to-day tactical procurement activities that support uninterrupted production and supply chain operations. This role requires a highly detail-oriented professional who is proficient in SAP purchasing processes, supplier coordination, and supply chain data systems including EDI and Business Intelligence reporting tools. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong ownership of purchasing execution, proactively addressing service, delivery, and quality issues that may jeopardize production schedules. This individual must be capable of working cross-functionally with Supply Chain Planning, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Logistics while maintaining a disciplined focus on cost management, supplier performance, and operational efficiency. The candidate must collaborate with Procurement Management and Cross functional stakeholders supporting strategic and continuous improvement projects. The candidate will have accountable ownership with vendor strategy, procurement policy, or process areas that extend beyond the executional scope of individual contributors. Additionally, the candidate will have accountable budget and purchase price variance ownership. The candidate must be able to find ways to mitigate cost increases by way to negotiation and project ideation and management. The candidate will also have expenditure authority with requisition review and approval. This role is ideal for a professional who moves beyond transactional purchasing by immersing themselves in the business, understanding supply chain impacts, and creating value for both internal stakeholders and external supplier partners. This role is hybrid in Chicago, IL reporting to the Purchasing Director. The candidate must be willing and available for on-site meetings as needed with relation of nature of Operational components of the job duties. Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30AM – 5:00PM

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in one of the following preferred: Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Accounting, Operations Management
5–7 years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience
Experience working in SAP purchasing environments
Strong understanding of tactical purchasing operations supporting manufacturing or production environments
SAP Purchasing / Materials Management
EDI transaction systems
Business Intelligence reporting tools
Supplier portals or digital supplier collaboration platforms
The successful candidate will demonstrate: Sense of urgency in resolving supply issues impacting production
Strong operational ownership of purchasing responsibilities
Collaborative communication across departments and with suppliers
Analytical thinking and problem solving
Attention to detail in transactional procurement processes
Professional accountability and initiative

Nice To Haves

ISM – CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management)
APICS / ASCM Certification (CPIM or CSCP)
AI-enabled supply chain tools (preferred but not required)

Responsibilities

Execute day-to-day procurement activities within SAP, including requisition review, purchase order creation, order confirmation monitoring, and goods receipt coordination.
Maintain accurate purchasing master data including PIRs, source lists, vendor information records, and pricing conditions.
Monitor open purchase orders and supplier confirmations to ensure on-time delivery aligned with production requirements.
Investigate and resolve discrepancies related to pricing, quantity, or delivery commitments.
Act quickly to resolve supplier service failures or quality issues that could impact production schedules.
Coordinate with Supply Chain Planning and Operations teams to ensure continuity of materials supply.
Manage supplier communications regarding delivery changes, shortages, and recovery plans.
Build professional working relationships with suppliers while maintaining accountability for performance.
Support supplier performance monitoring including service level, delivery reliability, and quality metrics.
Work collaboratively with suppliers to resolve operational challenges and improve supply reliability.
Utilize SAP, EDI, and Business Intelligence (BI) reporting tools to monitor procurement activity, supplier performance, and order status.
Work within supplier portals and digital collaboration platforms, including emerging AI-enabled supplier management tools.
Analyze procurement data to identify opportunities for service improvements and cost optimization.
Communicate effectively across purchasing, logistics, production, quality, and finance teams.
Demonstrate strong interpersonal awareness and respect for the needs of colleagues while working toward solutions.
Take ownership of procurement issues rather than simply forwarding communications between parties.
Identify opportunities to improve procurement workflows, supplier collaboration, and reporting visibility.
Support initiatives to enhance EDI integration, supplier data visibility, and procurement automation.