Purchasing Manager

Wilkerson Crane Rental•Bonner Springs, KS

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Purchasing Manager owns the company’s purchasing function for cranes, heavy equipment, attachments, rigging gear, parts, and related assets. The role combines purchasing strategy and daily procurement, including developing purchasing policies and the capital equipment plan with leadership, sourcing and negotiating purchases, and ensuring each transaction is approved and documented. The position collaborates with the President, shop leadership, the CSO, dispatch, branch managers, and Finance to support fleet availability, safety, and cost effectiveness. It also manages vendor relationships and cross-rentals, and supports capital equipment planning. As the company grows, the role may supervise additional purchasing staff. The position is based at the company’s headquarters in Bonner Springs, Kansas. It is primarily office-based, with regular visits to branches, job sites, dealer lots, auctions, and acquisition targets, and requires 30–50% travel. The employee may be periodically exposed to outdoor environments, active crane yards, and construction job sites. The role requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, stoop, or crouch. Availability for Board and PE sponsor communications outside standard business hours may be needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, construction management, organizational development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five or more years of purchasing or procurement experience.
Solid working knowledge of cranes and heavy equipment, including equipment types, specifications, and major components.
Proven negotiation skills, including experience with high-value capital equipment purchases.
Experience developing purchasing policies, budgets, or capital plans.
Strong organization and record-keeping skills.
Advanced proficiency with Excel and experience with purchasing or ERP systems.
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel as needed.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present to the President, CSO, Boards, and PE sponsors.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, stoop, or crouch while performing job duties.
Availability for Board and PE sponsor communications as needed, including outside standard business hours.

Nice To Haves

Purchasing or procurement experience in crane rental, heavy equipment, construction, or transportation.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and maintain purchasing policies and procedures covering quote requirements, spending authority, approvals, and documentation.
Lead the annual capital equipment plan with the President and leadership, using fleet utilization, customer demand, equipment age and condition, and market pricing to recommend purchases, replacements, and disposals.
Manage the purchasing budget and track spending against capital and operating budgets.
Act as final purchasing authority within approved limits and provide the President with written recommendations for purchases above those limits.
Report to the President on purchasing activity, spending, savings, market conditions, and fleet needs.
Source new and used cranes, heavy equipment, trucks, trailers, and support equipment from manufacturers, dealers, brokers, auctions, and private sellers.
Evaluate equipment specifications, condition, availability, and total cost of ownership, and prepare recommendations for major acquisitions.
Coordinate pre-purchase inspections and review inspection reports, maintenance history, and load charts before purchases are finalized.
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, delivery, warranties, and included components.
Issue purchase orders and ensure purchases comply with company policies and approval requirements.
Purchase crane attachments, including large spreader bars and rigging hardware, and source hard-to-find or long-lead parts to minimize downtime.
Coordinate equipment cross-rentals and re-rents with rental companies, dispatch, and project managers; verify inspection, documentation, and insurance requirements; and track frequency and cost to identify fleet gaps.
Coordinate equipment transport, including freight quotes, oversize/overweight permits, and delivery scheduling.
Maintain fleet asset documentation, including titles, registrations, bills of sale, and other purchase records.
Work with Finance on asset setup, invoice matching, and payment processing.
Coordinate with Safety and the shop to ensure new equipment receives required operator familiarization and manufacturer training before entering service.
Identify aging, underused, or high-cost assets and recommend sale, trade-in, or disposal; manage valuation, marketing, auction consignment, trade-in negotiations, and transfer documentation.
Build and maintain relationships with manufacturers, dealers, parts suppliers, transport companies, and rental partners.
Negotiate vendor agreements, pricing arrangements, and preferred supplier terms; evaluate vendor performance and make changes when expectations are not met.
Maintain vendor records, including insurance certificates and required agreements.
Hire, train, and develop purchasing staff.
Perform other duties assigned by management.
Adhere to the company Code of Conduct/Ethics and Core Values, contribute to a professional culture, model the Extreme Ownership standard, and protect company, PE sponsor, client, and acquisition target information.
Operate as a co-leader alongside the President & COO, unified in direction and jointly accountable to the Board for company performance.
Travel to branch locations, acquisition targets, customer sites, OEM meetings, and PE sponsor engagements; remain available for Board and PE sponsor communications as needed, including outside standard business hours.