Potter has been a part of the St. Louis community since 1898 and we are very proud of our rich history in the fire and life safety industry. Potter's mission is to be the "Symbol of Protection" for fire and life safety solutions worldwide by combining the latest technology in fire protection with the dedicated manpower for which we have been known for over one hundred years. Our vision is to provide industry leading quality solutions, products and services for the protection of life, property and the environment. With unwavering dedication to our customers, Potter looks to continue as the industry standard in both product and service with increased focus on international expansion.

Each employee at Potter takes great pride in knowing that every product we assemble, service, and sell is for the purpose of saving lives around the world. We strive to provide employment opportunities to those individuals who are performance driven, team players, take pride in their work, and are enthusiastic and passionate about their job.

The Procurement Manager leads a team of buyers that are responsible for coordinating the purchasing and inventory of materials, parts, equipment, and supplies for the organization.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Analyze and coordinate all activity related to the purchase of correct parts in the optimal quantity for delivery in time to match build plan for customer requirements.
• Manage the day-to-day communication with the assigned supply base to align activities to support Potter initiatives and be able to concisely advise stakeholders on progress.
• Lead key supplier KPI scorecard reviews on a regular cadence and drive actions to accomplish improvement, when needed.
• Manage subcontract transactions and transfer orders to support Potter family divisions.
• Be front line mitigation to inflationary pressures or logistic delays. It is required that all strategies are explored to eliminate or reduce negative financial or timing impacts.
• Devises and implements creative material ordering methods to minimize inventory commitments and reduce lead times.
• Maintains timely control of system data for orders, deliveries, RMAs and other documents to assure accurate retention of records.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including cross-cultural.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Ability to work autonomously and make independent judgments relating to the quality and value of parts and products.
• Computer literate, emphasizing Microsoft Office Suite and MRP type systems. Ability to quickly learn and effectively use Potter software applications (Epicor, Tableau, IQR).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Purchasing, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Engineering or a related business area.
• Minimum of two years managing a team of buyers.
• Functional knowledge of international and domestic purchasing and sourcing methods and concepts.
• Possess strong sourcing, negotiation, project management, supplier management, financial, and quantitative analysis skills.
• Experience working within a multi-cultural and multi-location environment.
• Technical aptitude, including but not limited to, ability to read technical diagrams and drawings to determine product specifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager) or related sourcing professional certification.

Work Environment/Physical Demands/Travel

This job operates in a professional business office or home office where standard office equipment is routinely used, such as computers, photocopy machines, fax machines, telephones and filing cabinets.

This position is largely a sedentary role. Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times. Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities.

This position will require you to travel independently to supplier locations and may need to adjust work hours based on business needs.

This is a full-time position, on-site at the manufacturing facility. A hybrid work format will be an option after training. The hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 40 hours per week. An occasional shift in hours may be necessary to accommodate business needs.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.