Purchasing Agent

Purchasing Agent

Residential Custom Homebuilding | Houston Heights, TX

Jamestown Estate Homes, LP is an award-winning luxury custom home builder based in Houston, Texas, specializing in luxury single-family homes in Houston Heights, master-planned communities, and build-on-your-lot opportunities. We are committed to delivering exceptional quality, thoughtful design, and unmatched customer experience.

We are currently seeking an experienced Purchasing Agent to join our Purchasing Department. This position plays a key role in managing construction costs, vendor pricing, estimating, bidding, job starts, purchase orders, and cost-control processes for luxury custom residential construction.

The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, residential construction experience, analytical, and confident working with trade partners, field teams, design selections, construction software, and residential blueprints.

Position Summary

The Purchasing Agent / Senior Purchasing Agent is responsible for supporting all purchasing, estimating, bidding, budgeting, cost management, vendor coordination, and job-start activities related to residential construction.

This role requires the ability to read and estimate from residential blueprints, maintain accurate takeoffs, manage bid packages, analyze vendor pricing, issue purchase orders, review variances, and support field operations with accurate and timely purchasing information.

The position works closely with the Purchasing Manager, construction team, design team, vendors, trade partners, and company leadership to ensure that costs, scopes, specifications, and purchase orders are accurate and aligned with company standards.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing, Estimating & Bid Management

• Manage the full bid coordination process, including blueprint validation, bid request preparation, vendor communication, bid collection, cost comparison, and estimate review.
• Estimate materials, labor, and scopes of work from residential construction blueprints.
• Develop, maintain, and update plan takeoffs for assigned plans, communities, and custom projects.
• Review and analyze vendor pricing, trade bids, option pricing, and scope inclusions.
• Prepare bid comparisons and present recommendations to management for contract awards.
• Ensure pricing aligns with current plans, specifications, scopes of work, and construction standards.
• Assist in developing and maintaining pricing structures for base house costs, options, upgrades, and community-specific standards.
• Research new products, vendors, materials, and construction methods from a cost, value, quality, and efficiency standpoint.

Job Starts, Purchase Orders & Cost Control

• Execute accurate job starts and final proof all unit costs before release.
• Create, revise, issue, and monitor purchase orders in construction software.
• Analyze purchase orders at job start to verify accuracy of quantities, pricing, scopes, and cost codes.
• Review and process purchase orders related to change orders, selections, options, and field changes.
• Monitor direct costs, cost variances, and purchasing discrepancies.
• Prepare cost analysis and variance reporting for review by the Purchasing Manager.
• Review all extra purchase orders/EPOs to confirm they align with approved takeoffs, scopes of work, reason codes, and proper approvals.
• Identify recurring EPO trends and recommend solutions to reduce unnecessary costs and prevent repeated issues.
• Help eliminate wasteful processes and improve purchasing efficiency.

Vendor & Trade Partner Management

• Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with trade partners, suppliers, and vendors.
• Hold trade partners accountable to terms of contract, pricing, scopes of work, schedules, and quality expectations.
• Assist in recruiting, qualifying, and onboarding new vendors and trade partners.
• Monitor vendor performance, pricing consistency, scope compliance, and responsiveness.
• Communicate clearly with vendors regarding bids, purchase orders, pricing issues, options, changes, and documentation needs.
• Support the Purchasing Manager in maintaining accurate vendor pricing, cost databases, and purchasing records.

Plans, Options & Construction Support

• Assist in maintaining new plans, option pricing, standard specifications, and takeoff data.
• Review and provide accurate option pricing from vendors for buyer selections, upgrades, and change orders.
• Monitor product specifications for homes under construction to ensure purchasing accuracy.
• Support field operations by resolving purchasing-related issues quickly and professionally.
• Work closely with construction, design, and management teams to ensure plans, selections, purchase orders, and scopes are coordinated.
• Provide timely project status updates to the Purchasing Manager regarding ongoing purchasing activities, cost issues, vendor concerns, and assigned projects.
• Crosstrain in all areas of purchasing to support department needs as required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of purchasing experience, preferably in residential construction.
• Strong residential construction knowledge is required.
• Ability to read, interpret, and estimate from residential construction blueprints is required.
• Experience with plan takeoffs, estimating, job starts, purchase orders, scopes of work, and vendor pricing.
• Strong understanding of construction practices, materials, trades, sequencing, and field operations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office programs.
• Experience with Hyphen Solutions Build Pro preferred.
• Experience with BRIX or similar residential construction software is a plus.
• Strong numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple detail-oriented tasks with competing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and follow-through.
• Ability to hold trade partners accountable while maintaining professional relationships.
• Must be a team player with the ability to work well under pressure.
• Must demonstrate integrity, accountability, loyalty, and a strong work ethic.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of residential construction and custom homebuilding.
• Ability to estimate multiple scopes of work from blueprints.
• Strong cost-analysis and variance-review skills.
• Detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Ability to identify cost-saving opportunities and process improvements.
• Excellent communication and vendor-management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with purchasing, construction, design, and leadership teams.
• Professional judgment when reviewing bids, options, scopes, and purchase orders.
• Ability to manage assigned projects independently and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Compensation

Compensation: Commensurate with experience

Position Type: Full-time

Schedule: Monday – Friday

Location: Houston Heights, TX

Employee Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k) with company matching
• Paid time off

Why Join Jamestown Estate Homes?

At Jamestown Estate Homes, you will be part of a respected luxury custom homebuilder that values quality, integrity, teamwork, and excellence. This role is ideal for a purchasing professional who understands residential construction, takes pride in accuracy, enjoys building strong trade relationships, and wants to contribute to the success of high-end custom homes throughout the Houston market.