SUMMARY The Purchasing Specialist works under the direction of the Purchasing Manager. The Purchasing Specialist’s responsibilities include sourcing new suppliers, ensuring that purchased products and materials meet specific specifications, negotiating purchase terms, and evaluating supplier performance. The Purchasing Specialist will also be responsible for ensuring timely deliveries and resolving any supply issues or discrepancies.

To be successful in this position you should be able to develop efficient procurement solutions and support senior management with the development and implementation of sourcing strategies. A Purchasing Specialist should possess excellent communication and negotiation skills, be an analytical thinker, and demonstrate good working knowledge of purchasing strategies.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Research and identify prospective suppliers.
• Evaluate products and suppliers according to key business criteria.
• Prepare proposals, request quotes, and negotiate purchase terms and conditions.
• Prepare and issue purchase orders and agreements.
• Monitor supplier performance and resolve any issues or concerns.
• Inspect and evaluate the quality of purchased items and resolve any discrepancies.
• Evaluate forecast plans and requirements to include materials, supplies and lead times.
• Tracks orders all the way through to product arrival and delivery.
• Makes recommendations for orders, communicates requirements to suppliers and publishes expected delivery schedules.
• Manages co-packing projects for the company.
• Coordinates product safety testing to ensure compliance with CPSIA, ASTM, FDA, California Prop 65 and EN71 regulations.
• Updates and maintains vendor files and vendor compliance tracking.
• Follows established guidelines for supplier interaction which includes using only approved vendors, ordering at established inventory levels, ordering pre-calculated quantities.
• Expediting and monitoring of all orders.
• Reviews and analyzes reports on a regular basis to gain a working knowledge of business trends and to identify opportunities.
• Maintains sample library.
• Creates spreadsheets and other special reports as needed.
• Provides general administrative assistance including filing, basic correspondence and answering telephones as needed to cover duties of Purchasing Assistant.

Inherent in each position is a general duty to maintain each respective work area in a safe and sanitary condition. Regular, predictable, full-time attendance is required as an essential function of this position. The employee may be required to perform other such duties within the scope of their employment as may be assigned. The employee must also possess the ability to take direction, follow instructions, work with others, follow work rules and schedules, and focus on details.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES None

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE Associates degree (AA) or equivalent from 2 year college or technical school; or 3 to 5 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. An equivalency of education could possibly fulfill formal degree requirements.

• Good working knowledge of purchasing strategies.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office with business application software, purchasing and resource planning systems (MRP).
• Team player with strong organizational skills.

LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.

REASONING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of the job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The employee must ascend and descent stairs in order to perform essential functions and report to work location.

WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

**All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.**