Purchasing and Planning Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The Purchasing and Planning Manager is responsible for purchasing and inventory planning at Blaze Equipment. The role covers specialized drill rig components and engineered assemblies sourced from Hydraulic Performance Machines (HPM), along with drilling tooling, wear parts, and consumables sourced from a range of domestic and international vendors. It converts sales pipeline, rental fleet demand, and shop consumption into buy plans, purchase orders, and inventory targets, and represents Blaze Equipment in the corporate Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) process. This is an individual contributor position with no direct reports, carrying functional authority across the business unit and accountability for material availability, inventory turns, and total landed cost. Success requires command of both long-lead engineered component procurement and high-SKU consumables replenishment, working knowledge of import and customs practice, and the discipline to hold suppliers to committed dates.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Drill Rig Component & Engineered Parts Procurement

• Place and manage purchase orders with HPM for drill rig components and engineered assemblies, including masts, rotary heads, and associated structural and hydraulic components.
• Verify part number, serial applicability, and configuration against rig build sheets.
• Track component orders from purchase order through ocean transit, customs clearance, and receipt, maintaining confirmed dates that Service and Operations can schedule work against.
• Recommend stocking levels for critical long-lead components using failure history, fleet population, and committed job requirements.
• Complete drill rig purchasing is managed outside this position; this role procures the components, tooling, and consumables that support units in operation.

Tooling, Wear Parts & Consumables Replenishment

• Manage replenishment of drilling tooling and consumables, including augers, core barrels, drilling buckets, adapters, and casing, along with wear parts such as shank teeth, pilot bits, fishtails, collars, etc.
• Establish and maintain min/max levels, reorder points, and safety stock by SKU, driven by consumption history from equipment sales, rental fleet usage, and shop work orders rather than by reaction to stockouts.
• Partner with the Rental & Transportation Coordinator, Service Manager, and Welding/Fabrication Manager on refurbish-versus-replace decisions, and keep rental-ready tooling available against committed and forecasted jobs.
• Assist with managing tooling kitting and staging so rigs ship with correctly matched tooling, adapters, and teeth for the customer's application and ground conditions.

SIOP & Demand / Supply Planning

• Serve as Blaze Equipment's participant in the monthly SIOP cycle, delivering demand, supply, and inventory inputs on the schedule, format, and assumptions set by the Director of Purchasing & SIOP.
• Build and maintain a rolling 12- to 18-month demand plan by product line using sales pipeline, quoted jobs, rental fleet utilization, and historical consumption.
• Reconcile the demand plan against supplier lead times and factory build capacity; surface gaps early and present options with cost, delivery, and risk trade-offs.
• Report forecast accuracy, fill rate, supplier on-time delivery, and lead time performance, and own the corrective actions on misses.

Inventory Health & Working Capital

• Own inventory targets and turns for the business unit; monitor aging, excess, slow-moving, and obsolete stock and drive disposition through transfer, sale, or write-down with Plant Manager and Finance approval.
• Manage open purchase order exposure and commitment timing to support the cash, floor plan, and inventory objectives set by Finance.
• Maintain item master accuracy, including part numbers, descriptions, unit of measure, supersessions, and standard cost.

Supplier Management, Import & Landed Cost

• Manage supplier relationships and performance, holding scheduled reviews covering delivery, quality, pricing, warranty claims, and open issues.
• Qualify and maintain alternate tooling and component sources across domestic, European, and Asian manufacturers, weighing lead time, quality, minimum order quantity, tariff exposure, and total landed cost.
• Coordinate ocean and inland freight, customs brokerage, HTS classification, duty, and tariff treatment with brokers and Finance, and verify landed cost is captured accurately in the ERP system.
• Monitor foreign currency exposure and factory price changes, and escalate cost or schedule variances before they affect quoted margin or delivery.

Safety & Compliance

• Follow all OSHA and company safety standards, and ensure inbound receiving, material handling, rigging, and storage practices in the yard and warehouse are executed safely.
• Maintain a safety-first mindset and report unsafe conditions, near misses, and incidents immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE ENVIRONMENT

• 7 years of purchasing, materials, or supply chain experience, including 3 years owning a planning or replenishment function, preferably at a heavy equipment dealer, distributor, or capital equipment manufacturer.
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered. CPIM, CSCP, or CPSM certification a plus.
• Familiarity with foundation drilling equipment and tooling, and working awareness of the competing rig and tooling manufacturers in the market, strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of import practice, including Incoterms, ocean freight, customs brokerage, HTS classification, duty and tariff exposure, and foreign currency purchasing.
• Hands-on ERP proficiency across purchasing, inventory, and planning modules, with advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, lookups, and building a defensible buy plan from raw consumption data.
• Strong negotiation, organizational, and communication skills; able to influence and hold suppliers and internal partners to committed dates without direct reporting authority, and to present a recommendation to leadership concisely.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Office environment with regular time in the yard, warehouse, and shop, with exposure to weather, noise, and heavy equipment.
• Ability to work at a computer and telephone for extended periods, and to occasionally move items up to 50 lbs.
• Maintains a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations, including the proper use of PPE.

TRAVEL AND SCHEDULE EXPECTATIONS

• Based in Fort Worth, TX with travel up to 20% for supplier visits, branch support, and industry trade shows; occasional international travel to supplier facilities may be required.
• Standard Monday–Friday schedule, with occasional overtime or schedule adjustments based on business needs, including early or late calls to accommodate overseas supplier time zones.