Third-Party Procurement Specialist

Sunward Steel Buildings•Denver, CO

6d•$75,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

Sunward Steel is seeking a Third-Party Procurement Specialist to manage relationships with external manufacturers, component suppliers, and logistics partners. This role is crucial for the company's expansion through third-party manufacturing, ensuring vendors deliver the right product, at the right quality, at the right time, and at the right cost. The ideal candidate is independent, thinks critically, thrives in complexity, and can manage multiple vendor relationships simultaneously. This person should build systems proactively, identify potential problems early, and communicate effectively with various stakeholders. Strong process discipline, curiosity about manufacturing, and interpersonal skills to hold vendors accountable while maintaining positive relationships are essential.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in vendor management, procurement, supply chain, or purchasing in a manufacturing, construction, or industrial environment
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple vendor relationships and concurrent purchase orders with competing priorities and deadlines
Strong negotiation skills with a track record of establishing and maintaining favorable vendor agreements
Experience with systems for procurement and purchase order management
Excellent written and verbal communication skills - clear, professional, and effective across both technical and commercial conversations
High level of independent judgment and ability to drive work to completion without close supervision
Strong process orientation - builds systems, documents workflows, and maintains disciplined records
High school diploma or equivalent required

Nice To Haves

Experience in the PEMB, steel building, construction products, or building materials supply chain
Familiarity with 3P component categories relevant to steel buildings - overhead doors, insulation, cranes, bar joists, windows, trim, accessories, or custom fabricated parts
Experience evaluating and onboarding new manufacturing or fabrication vendors
Background in quality management, incoming inspection, or supplier quality assurance
Experience with MBS or other PEMB-specific software platforms
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering Technology, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
CPSM, CPIM, or other supply chain or procurement certification

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for all third-party manufacturers, component suppliers, and logistics partners in Sunward’s 3P network, building strong, accountable, long-term working relationships.
Conduct regular vendor reviews to assess performance against quality, delivery, pricing, and responsiveness benchmarks, providing structured feedback and escalating underperformance with clear corrective action expectations.
Negotiate pricing, lead times, terms, and contractual agreements with vendors, working in collaboration with leadership to ensure favorable and competitive arrangements.
Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors to expand Sunward’s 3P manufacturing and component capabilities, conducting due diligence on quality systems, capacity, financial stability, and fit.
Maintain a comprehensive and current vendor database including contact information, pricing agreements, lead time benchmarks, quality certifications, and performance history.
Develop and maintain contingency sourcing plans for critical components and manufacturing categories to reduce supply chain risk.
Manage the end-to-end procurement process for 3P components and manufactured parts, from requisition through purchase order placement, confirmation, tracking, and delivery verification.
Ensure all purchase orders are accurate, complete, and entered into the system with correct specifications, quantities, pricing, and delivery requirements before release to vendors.
Track all open purchase orders proactively, monitoring status, flagging delays, and communicating impacts to internal teams before they affect production or delivery schedules.
Coordinate with logistics and freight partners on shipping, routing, and delivery scheduling to optimize cost and reliability for inbound component shipments.
Manage change orders, revisions, and cancellations with vendors in a timely and documented manner, ensuring records reflect current status at all times.
Partner with the engineering and drafting teams to ensure vendor-supplied components and manufactured parts meet Sunward’s design specifications, tolerances, and quality standards.
Coordinate receipt inspection and incoming quality verification for 3P components, working with operations to resolve non-conformances and manage returns or replacements with vendors.
Ensure all vendors maintain required certifications, insurance, and compliance documentation, tracking expiration dates and initiating renewals proactively.
Document and investigate quality escapes or delivery failures with root cause analysis and corrective action follow-through from the vendor.
Build and maintain the processes, workflows, and documentation standards that govern Sunward’s 3P vendor management function, creating structure where it does not yet exist and improving it where it does.
Identify opportunities to consolidate vendors, standardize specifications, or renegotiate terms to improve cost efficiency and supply chain resilience.
Track and report on vendor performance KPIs, procurement cycle times, cost variances, and supply chain risk metrics, presenting findings and recommendations to leadership regularly.
Champion data integrity across all procurement and vendor management activity.
Work closely with engineering, drafting, project management, and sales to understand component requirements, anticipate procurement needs, and align vendor capacity with project timelines.
Collaborate with finance on purchase order approval workflows, invoice reconciliation, and vendor payment terms.
Communicate proactively with internal stakeholders on vendor status, supply risks, and any changes to lead times or pricing that could impact project delivery or cost.
Other duties may be assigned as business needs evolve.