Purchasing Specialist (Construction)

Nichols Contracting, Inc. (NCI) is a family-owned and operated Construction and Contracting business headquartered in Columbia, MD with offices in Richmond, VA, Royal Palm Beach, and Orlando, FL with a team of 170 employees. NCI is a full-service general contractor focused on providing premier services in all aspects of the construction process, from concept to completion. We manage a broad range of commercial construction projects, including new construction, tenant fit outs, and renovations. NCI services a diverse group of markets including federal, state, and local governments, as well as a variety of corporate and special industry organizations that require complex life safety and critical infrastructure needs.

Nichols Contracting is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Purchasing Specialist to support our construction operations. This individual will play a critical role in managing procurement processes, negotiating pricing, and ensuring all purchasing and subcontractor agreements are aligned with project scope, budget, and timelines.

Essential Functions:

• Manage and oversee construction purchasing activities from pre-construction through project completion
• Draft, review, and manage subcontractor agreements, professional service agreements, and purchase orders
• Develop and write detailed construction scopes of work and incorporate into subcontract agreements
• Negotiate pricing and scopes with subcontractors and vendors
• Evaluate subcontractor proposals to ensure alignment with project requirements and budgets
• Maintain strong relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, and internal project teams
• Ensure all agreements and purchases comply with company standards and project specifications, drawings, and administrative requirements.
• Collaborate with project managers and estimating team to support cost control and procurement strategies
• Track and manage procurement documentation with a high level of accuracy and organization

Desired Skills and Competencies:

• Minimum of 10 years of construction experience required
• Managing and writing contracts
• Drafting subcontractor agreements and purchase orders
• Writing and reviewing construction scopes
• Negotiating subcontractor and vendor pricing
• Strong understanding of construction processes, materials, and project lifecycle
• General contractor experience strongly preferred
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills
• Strong negotiation and communication abilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working with commercial construction projects
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite is a plus

Benefits: 401k, Health Insurance (Medical, Dental and Vision) PTO, Employer Paid Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Paid Holidays and much more

Salary: Competitive salary plus performance based Bonus incentives

Employee Acknowledgement: I have read the above position description and I understand and agree with the terms and requirements for this position. I also understand and agree that such requirements may be amended and/or adjusted at any time.

Persons with mental and physical disabilities as defined by the American’s With Disabilities Act are eligible for this position as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodations are made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible for this position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

Nichols Contracting provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state of local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.