Purchasing Agent

The Role:

The Odom Corporation is seeking a Purchasing Agent to support purchasing, demand planning, and inventory management.

This position is responsible for forecasting product demand, maintaining appropriate inventory levels, coordinating purchasing activity, and supporting product availability while minimizing excess inventory and product obsolescence. The Purchasing Agent partners closely with suppliers, operations teams, warehouse personnel, sales leadership, pricing, finance, and inventory control to support service excellence, inventory efficiency, and business performance.

If you enjoy working with data, solving supply chain problems, coordinating across teams, and helping ensure the right products are available at the right time, we’d love to hear from you.

What You'll Do:

Demand Planning & Forecasting 

• Analyze sales trends, inventory levels, supplier lead times, promotional activity, and seasonal demand patterns to develop accurate purchasing forecasts
• Monitor forecasting accuracy and adjust inventory plans to address changing business conditions
• Identify risks to product availability and develop mitigation strategies to minimize out-of-stock conditions
• Support inventory turn, service level, and freshness objectives through effective planning and forecasting activities

Inventory Management

• Maintain inventory levels that support customer demand while minimizing stockouts and excess inventory
• Monitor days-on-hand inventory metrics and product availability
• Identify and execute inventory balancing activities, including intercompany transfers when appropriate
• Assist in reducing obsolete, slow-moving, and out-of-date inventory exposure

Purchasing & Supplier Coordination

• Prepare and submit purchase orders in accordance with supplier requirements and company standards
• Coordinate product availability, lead times, delivery schedules, and supply constraints with suppliers
• Monitor supplier performance and communicate potential supply chain issues to leadership
• Support accurate receiving, invoice verification, and purchasing documentation processes

Pricing & Compliance Support

• Support compliance with applicable pricing, purchasing, and inventory management requirements
• Coordinate with Pricing Coordinators and operational stakeholders to ensure pricing accuracy and compliance
• Maintain purchasing records, documentation, and reporting requirements
• Support audits, reconciliations, and inventory control activities

Cross-Functional Partnership & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with warehouse, transportation, sales, pricing, and supplier teams to support operational performance
• Communicate inventory risks, opportunities, and supply issues proactively
• Recommend process improvements that enhance inventory management, service levels, and operational efficiency
• Contribute to a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

What We're Looking For: 

Required Qualifications 

• High school diploma or equivalent
• One (1) to three (3) years of purchasing, inventory management, supply chain, logistics, forecasting, or related experience
• Experience utilizing data to support operational or purchasing decisions

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations Management, Finance, or related field
• Experience in beverage distribution, consumer packaged goods, wholesale distribution, or inventory-intensive industries
• Experience with ERP, inventory management, or purchasing systems.
• APICS/ASCM certification, supply chain certification, purchasing-related certification, or related professional development coursework

Why Join Odom?

• Competitive compensation and benefits package
• Opportunity to support a growing, multi-location beverage distribution business
• Collaborative and cross-functional work environment
• Role with meaningful impact on inventory, service levels, and operational performance
• Exposure to suppliers, operations, sales, pricing, finance, and inventory control
• Stable, family-owned company with a long history of success

ABOUT THE ODOM CORPORATION

The Odom Corporation is one of the largest and most respected beverage distributors in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.  For more than 90 years, we have partnered with leading suppliers and retailers while investing in our employees, customers, and communities.

STANDARD EMPLOYMENT PROVISIONS

Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation will be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Job Description Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Management reserves the right to modify, assign, or reassign duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and position requirements as business needs require.