Director of Purchasing

Director of Purchasing

Air Lift, a third-generation family-owned company, was founded in 1949 in Lansing, Michigan. Air Lift supplies the automotive aftermarket with load assist products and performance suspensions for show and track. Our goal is to consistently provide products and services that meet and exceed customer’s requirements and expectations. We do this by recruiting top talent and retaining them through our commitment to professional development and preservation of our culture. 

Job Description Summary

The Director of Purchasing is a senior leadership role responsible for setting and executing the overall supply chain strategy across Purchasing and Materials Management, with risk management as a core contributor to business performance and continuity. This position provides strategic direction, governance, and leadership to ensure the organization achieves cost competitiveness, supply continuity, inventory optimization, risk mitigation, and operational excellence. This role serves as a key business partner to executive leadership, operations, engineering, and finance.

This role requires deep, hands-on experience across both strategic sourcing / purchasing and materials management / planning, with the ability to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate supply chain risk while balancing long-term strategy and near-term execution.

Essential Duties

• Own and drive the overall purchasing strategy, ensuring alignment with cost, margin, and business growth objectives
• Lead sourcing strategies focused on total cost of ownership, supplier capability, and long-term competitiveness 
• Establish and execute supplier segmentation, development, and performance management strategies 
• Define and execute the end-to-end purchasing strategy, aligning purchasing and materials functions with overall business objectives
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, governance, and risk management frameworks across sourcing, procurement, planning, and inventory management
• Own the identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks, including supplier, capacity, geopolitical, and financial 
• Build strong, strategic relationships with key suppliers to ensure transparency, collaboration, and continuous cost improvement
• Position suppliers as partners in innovation and cost optimization, not just transactional vendors 
• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Finance to support new product launches, program transitions, and operational improvements 
• Coach, develop, and support the buyers to strengthen leadership capability, decision-making, and succession readiness
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, risk awareness, and continuous improvement

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related field
• 10 years of experience in supply chain, procurement, or operations
• 5 years in senior leadership or management roles
• Experience managing end-to-end supply chain functions
• Deep knowledge of Supply Chain Planning, Inventory Optimization, and Demand Forecasting
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Risk management and supply chain resilience
• Experience with supply chain planning systems and enterprise resource planning platforms. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage large budgets and drive cost reductions. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certifications such as:
  • APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
  • APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
  • Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement
• Experience managing purchasing and strategic sourcing for manufacturing operations, including direct materials, components, and production supplies.
• Experience negotiating long-term supplier agreements, volume contracts, and cost reduction initiatives for production materials.
• Experience collaborating with engineering, production, and quality teams on supplier selection, qualification, and product lifecycle management.