Purchasing Lead

Purchasing Lead

Company: Topper Industries

Location: Woodland, WA

Job Type: Full-Time | On-Site

Compensation: Competitive, based on experience

About Topper Industries

Topper Industries is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom aluminum and steel waterfront structures, including gangways, floating docks, platforms, and engineered marine access systems.

Our projects are highly customized, requiring close collaboration between engineering, manufacturing, and operations to deliver quality products on time and within budget. We take pride in solving complex challenges and building products designed to last.

About the Role

Topper Industries is seeking an experienced Purchasing Lead to take ownership of our purchasing function. This is a hands-on role responsible for sourcing materials, negotiating with vendors, managing purchasing costs, and ensuring materials are available to support production schedules.

We're looking for someone who can manage the day-to-day purchasing needs of a manufacturing operation while also thinking strategically about how we source materials, manage suppliers, and control costs.

This position offers significant autonomy, direct access to leadership, and the opportunity to make a measurable impact on the business.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Material Management

• Manage daily purchasing activities for aluminum, steel, fabricated components, hardware, and other manufacturing materials.
• Create, issue, and manage purchase orders, ensuring accurate pricing, quantities, specifications, and delivery dates.
• Review bills of materials (BOMs), engineering drawings, and production schedules to anticipate material requirements.
• Coordinate with engineering, production, and operations to ensure materials arrive on time and meet project specifications.
• Monitor material availability, inventory levels, and supplier lead times to prevent production delays.
• Resolve purchasing issues, supplier delays, and material shortages.

Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Identify, evaluate, and develop relationships with suppliers and vendors.
• Negotiate material pricing, payment terms, lead times, and purchasing agreements.
• Identify opportunities to reduce purchasing costs through supplier consolidation, competitive bidding, and improved sourcing strategies.
• Evaluate alternative suppliers and materials in collaboration with engineering and production.
• Monitor supplier performance related to pricing, quality, delivery, and reliability.
• Build long-term vendor relationships while maintaining competitive pricing.

Cost Control & Process Improvement

• Analyze purchasing data, material costs, and supplier pricing to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Track material price fluctuations, purchasing trends, and supplier performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve material utilization, reduce waste, and optimize inventory.
• Develop and improve purchasing processes, reporting tools, and vendor management practices.
• Utilize Excel and purchasing systems to track spending, evaluate costs, and support purchasing decisions.
• Partner with leadership to improve purchasing efficiency and overall profitability.

Qualifications

Required

• 5 years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience purchasing raw materials, fabricated components, or production-related materials.
• Strong vendor negotiation, sourcing, and supplier relationship management skills.
• Experience working with BOMs, production schedules, and material requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including analyzing purchasing data, tracking costs, and creating reports.
• Experience using ERP/MRP or purchasing management systems.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to independently manage purchasing activities and competing priorities.
• Comfortable working closely with engineering, production, and company leadership.

Preferred

• Experience purchasing aluminum, structural steel, or other metals.
• Background in custom fabrication, metal manufacturing, or engineered-to-order products.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and material specifications.
• Experience implementing cost-saving initiatives and improving purchasing processes.
• Experience independently managing purchasing for a manufacturing operation.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation based on experience.
• Significant autonomy and ownership of the purchasing function.
• Direct collaboration with company leadership.
• Opportunity to influence purchasing strategy, material costs, and operational efficiency.
• A collaborative manufacturing environment focused on custom-engineered products.
• Opportunity to develop and improve purchasing processes as the company grows.

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who combines hands-on purchasing experience with a strategic, cost-conscious mindset.

The ideal candidate understands manufacturing, knows how to negotiate with suppliers, and can anticipate material needs before they impact production.

This person should be comfortable managing purchase orders and daily vendor communication while also identifying opportunities to improve material sourcing, reduce costs, and strengthen purchasing processes.

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who takes ownership, operates independently, and is motivated by making a direct impact on the business.