Buyer

Join Our Team

Educators Resource is a leading national wholesale distributor of educational, office, and fine art supplies serving schools, retailers, and institutions across the United States. For nearly 50 years, we have built a reputation for exceptional service, operational excellence, and long-term customer relationships.

As we continue to grow, we are committed to maintaining efficient purchasing and supply and demand planning practices, fostering strong vendor relationships, and delivering the exceptional service our customers have come to expect.

Our success is built on dedicated employees who work together to deliver outstanding service and dependable solutions for our customers every day.

We're looking for a motivated Buyer who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, building strong vendor relationships, analyzing supply and demand trends, and making purchasing decisions that support our customers and business objectives.

This role partners closely with Sales, Operations, Customer Service, Finance, Distribution, and Purchasing to help ensure product availability, improve supply and demand planning, and support the company's continued growth.

• Location: Semmes
• Full-time - Non-Exempt - Day shift               
• Reports to: Purchasing Supervisor

Position Summary

The Buyer reports directly to the Purchasing Supervisor and is responsible for purchasing inventory, supporting supply and demand planning, and maintaining appropriate inventory levels to help ensure products are available to meet customer demand. This role plays an important part in balancing inventory investment, product availability, and customer service.

This position works closely with vendors and internal departments to forecast inventory needs, place purchase orders, monitor supplier performance, and minimize stock shortages and excess inventory. Using the company's proprietary materials management system and tools, the Buyer leverages sales, inventory, and forecasting data to support purchasing decisions and effective supply and demand planning.

The ideal candidate is organized, analytical, and comfortable using data to make sound purchasing decisions while maintaining appropriate inventory levels and supporting company objectives. Success in this role requires a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a collaborative approach to working with vendors and internal teams.

If you enjoy problem-solving, working with data, collaborating across departments, and making a direct impact on business operations, we'd like to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Purchase inventory to maintain appropriate stock levels and support customer demand.
• Forecast inventory requirements using sales history, trends, seasonal demand, and inventory levels.
• Monitor inventory across multiple warehouse locations.
• Maintain inventory parameters, including minimums, maximums, reorder points, lead times, and safety stock.
• Place purchase orders and monitor supplier performance to ensure timely delivery.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records and provide timely follow-up on open purchase orders.
• Review open purchase orders and proactively communicate potential supply issues to internal stakeholders.
• Resolve supplier shortages, back-orders, shipping delays, and other supply issues.
• Develop and maintain strong vendor partnerships that support reliable product availability and exceptional customer service.
• Analyze inventory, sales, and demand trends to support purchasing decisions and effective supply and demand planning.
• Evaluate new product’s performance and recommend inventory adjustments as needed.
• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Finance, Distribution, and Purchasing to support supply and demand planning initiatives and business objectives.
• Prepare reports that support purchasing decisions, inventory management, and business planning.
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing processes and inventory performance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Associate’s degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related field preferred. Relevant purchasing or inventory management experience may be substituted for formal education.
• Three or more years of purchasing, inventory management, or related experience preferred.
• Experience in wholesale distribution, manufacturing, retail, or other inventory-driven environments is a plus.

Professional Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience with ERP, purchasing, inventory, or proprietary materials management systems and analytical tools preferred.
• Understanding inventory planning concepts, including minimums, maximums, reorder points, lead times, and safety stock.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with vendors and internal teams.
• Ability to prioritize changing business needs while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Self-motivated with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a collaborative approach to working with others.
• Professional, dependable, and committed to supporting team and company goals.

Compensation & Benefits

Educators Resource offers a competitive compensation package designed to support the health, financial well-being, and work-life balance of our employees.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Competitive compensation based on experience and qualifications
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid Basic Life Insurance
• Company-paid Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance options, including employee, spouse, and dependent coverage
• Voluntary Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Accident Insurance
• Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Company-paid holidays
• Professional development and training opportunities

Our Culture

At Educators Resource, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the business every day. As a Buyer, your work directly supports product availability, customer satisfaction, and the company's continued success. You'll build lasting partnerships with vendors while collaborating with colleagues across Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Finance, Distribution, and Purchasing to ensure our customers have the products they need when they need them.

We're proud of our nearly 50-year history, but we're equally excited about the future. We value integrity, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement, and we encourage employees to share ideas, solve problems, and grow professionally. If you're looking for a stable, growing company where your contributions are recognized and your work truly makes a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Educators Resource is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 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.