Purchasing Manager

George T Sanders•Wheat Ridge, CO

4d•$75,000 - $107,000•Hybrid

About The Position

George T. Sanders Company is seeking a hands-on Purchasing Manager to lead purchasing, supplier relationships, and warranty returns. The role supports reliable product availability and disciplined inventory investment. The Purchasing Manager works closely with the Director of Supply Chain and Inventory Control to meet branch needs, improve replenishment, and reduce surplus inventory. This primarily office-based role follows a hybrid schedule: Mondays and Fridays work from home, and Tuesdays through Thursdays are on-site at the Corporate location. Travel to branches, AD conferences, supplier meetings, training sessions, industry events, and Distribution Center visits is required. Overnight travel is limited but necessary. The position reports directly to the Vice President of Sales and is also accountable to the Director of Supply Chain. It maintains and strengthens supplier relationships, partners with teams across the company, and represents GTS professionally to supply partners and at industry events.

Requirements

Five or more years of purchasing, inventory, or supply chain experience in wholesale distribution.
At least two years of team leadership experience.
Strong product knowledge in plumbing, hydronics, and HVAC.
Understanding of seasonal demand, replenishment, supplier programs, and warranty administration.
Formidable negotiation, analytical, and financial skills, including the ability to evaluate purchasing economics, manage inventory exposure, recover credits, and resolve operational issues.
Comfort and experience in Public Relations.
Proficiency in Excel and distribution ERP systems.
Clear communication, sound judgment, attention to detail, and effective collaboration across departments.
Relevant education or equivalent industry experience.

Nice To Haves

Plumbing, hydronics, and HVAC experience.
AD or comparable buying-group experience.
Infor CloudSuite Distribution or SX.e experience.
Purchasing or supply chain certification.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the purchasing team through coaching, training, performance expectations, and regular team meetings; ensure accountability for open orders, back orders, supplier commitments, and timely issue resolution.
Plan purchases around sales forecasts, seasonal demand, customer commitments, and lead times; negotiate pricing, rebates, cooperative advertising funds, freight, payment terms, and returns while balancing availability, landed cost, inventory turns, and cash commitments.
Collaborate with the Director of Supply Chain and Inventory Control on replenishment, lead times, authorized usage adjustments, and inventory accuracy.
Help coordinate and manage efficient distribution from suppliers and within GTS’ infrastructure.
Reduce surplus through supplier returns, stock rotations, transfers, and order adjustments; support approved SKU additions, product transitions, cycle counts, and inventory investigations.
Coordinate new-product integration with Inventory Control, Marketing, Sales, and Branch Management; maintain product knowledge through supplier training and share relevant updates with the team.
Lead procurement matters related to the buying group, Affiliated Distributors (AD).
Partner with Accounting on accruals, statement reconciliation, and collection of unpaid or disputed remittances.
Oversee warranties and returns.
Monitor supplier delivery, quality, and shipping accuracy, and create a vendor scorecard.
Communicate supplier price increases, freight changes, lead times, shipping disruptions, allocations, product changes, and warranty updates.
Maintain documented procedures, accurate ERP records, and auditable purchasing and recovery records.
Maintain and strengthen relationships with suppliers, Sales, and Branch Management; represent the company professionally at meetings, conferences, and industry events.
Partner with Inventory Control, Distribution Center, Quotes, Accounting, Pricing, Marketing, and eCommerce.
Travel to branches, AD conferences, supplier meetings, training, industry events, and Distribution Center visits; undertake necessary limited overnight travel.