Regional Purchasing Manager (Northeast)

Description

Position Overview

Reporting to the VP of Procurement, the Regional Purchasing Manager for the Northeast is responsible for managing the purchasing operations of our Northeast Region (annualized spending of $80M+) including demand planning and buying, inventory management, cost savings, and working capital improvements.

This individual must ensure their team provides outstanding service and support to all key team members, and that there are baseline and ongoing metrics with targets to continually improve the overall purchasing function in the Region. This role will also be responsible for guiding all team members and branches to common purchasing and growth strategies to best support the overall success of our entire business.

Position Responsibilities

Purchasing Management

• Develop a detailed understanding of the regional spend including historical purchasing trends, supplier performance, terms, rebates, and other programs in place.

• Conduct a detailed analysis of inventory transactions to identify trends and proactively manage planning & buying, including working across the business to optimize inventory and increase order fulfillment for the spend under management.

• Support rebate attainment actions.

• Create a strategy to align buyer activities to product categories in alignment and in coordination with Corporate Strategy, including consolidation of planning and buyer activities between both Regions where appropriate.

• Ensure the daily execution of purchase orders in support of system and customer demand with speed and accuracy.

• Oversee the supplier returns processes as required (e.g., dead or excessive stock, errors).

• Develop a processes to ensure that business stakeholders are utilizing preferred suppliers and products wherever possible, thereby leveraging the company's scale to drive greater value for the company.

• Achieve all corporate goals on cost savings, working capital and terms improvement, inventory turns, order fill rate, dead stock/slow moving and service level targets are met.

• Manage all promotional activities at the purchasing level: develops recommendations on inventory positions for all promotional SKUS, obtains branch agreement on inventory levels, and ensure inventory in place prior to promotional launch.

Team Leadership

• Ensure your team participates in resolving all pricing and receiving discrepancies in a timely manner.

• Transition the team from manual planning to a GAINS demand planning system while becoming a subject matter expert in GAINS demand planning system and any other technology introduced.

• Ensure all opportunities to "buy best" are in place and being used by the team (free freight, discounts, terms, off sheet pricing, and additional local rebates). Responsible for achieving the region's annual goals including cost savings and inventory turns improvement among other goals.

• Ensure the team offers substitutions in the event of stock availability challenges.

• Performs personnel functions such as selection, training, and evaluation including conducting interviews, making hiring decisions, participating in onboarding activities, coaching and development.

• Completes team assessment and developmental path. Ensures metrics are in place to measure performance (stock outs, purchase order status and processing, cost savings, etc.).

Customer Service

• Ensure the team has the highest level of responsiveness, and addresses vendor issues and expedites in a timely manner to ensure the highest level of service delivery. Oversea the Group Email Box to ensure timely and complete responses.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop and implement strategies in the region to drive growth and EBITA improvement through supplier consolidation and spend leverage, enhanced program value, resourcing activities. All activities should be carefully aligned and coordinated with Category Managers.

• Support the Category Manager(s) in implementation of purchasing and sourcing strategies and implementation of supplier requirements and policies.

• Maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders including branch managers and inside sales team.

What You'll Need to Have for success:

• Bachelor's Degree or higher in a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

• Minimum of 6 years of purchasing experience, preferably in a contract distribution environment.

• Minimum of 5 years managing a purchasing team of more than three employees.

• The ability to work independently, multitask, and keep projects and strategy on track.

• Exceptional analytical ability, including a results- and data-driven mindset and ability to analyze spend and inventory data to help with strategy development.

• Exceptional communication and influential abilities, including experience with difficult customer service scenarios, managing conflict, and working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

• Strong proficiency Microsoft Office (including pivot tables and advanced PowerPoint), analytic tools (e.g., Power BI), ERP solutions (e.g., Netsuite, Epicor Profit 21).

We Can Offer You:

We value performance that exhibits a high sense of urgency, coupled with attention to detail and a strong customer service orientation! We also care about the welfare of our employees, which is why our salary and benefits are competitive. Colony's benefits include:

• Quarterly bonuses based upon Company/corporate-level performance

• Medical, Dental, Vision, short-term and long-term disability (STD and LTD), Life Insurance

• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options

• 401(k) with company match

• Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays

• Industry leading training and development

• Wellness Programs

Life at Colony

With over 60 locations and 1,200 employees, Colony Hardware is the leading distributor of Tools, Equipment, Fasteners, Supplies, and Safety Products to commercial construction and industrial accounts throughout our markets. At Colony, our people are our most valuable asset. Success as a Colony Associate means being reliable, conscientious, and passionate. With our direction centered on teamwork, every employee at Colony will not only find their work to be meaningful, but will have the opportunity to grow alongside Colony, both professionally and personally. If you possess a will to win and would like to join a culture where integrity and collaboration are integral to success, apply to Colony Hardware today to join our growing family!

Colony's Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Colony Hardware Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, religion, marital status, victim of domestic violence, familial status, genetic predisposition or information, disability, Family and Medical Leave, military or veteran status, citizenship, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.