Purchasing Agent

Position Summary

The Purchasing Agent is responsible for leading the procurement of raw materials, components, and services that support the production of vinyl and coated fabric products. This role is critical to ensuring material availability, quality, and cost competitiveness in a process-driven manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate is a highly experienced purchasing professional with strong SAP expertise and hands-on experience sourcing chemical and polymer-based raw materials, who understands supplier risk, market volatility, and formulation-driven manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

• Source, evaluate, and negotiate with suppliers of raw materials including PVC resins, plasticizers, stabilizers, pigments, coatings, substrates, and related additives.
• Create, manage, and maintain purchase orders, scheduling agreements, and vendor data in SAP (MM) with a high degree of accuracy.
• Collaborate closely with production, formulation, engineering, and quality teams to ensure materials meet performance, regulatory, and quality requirements.
• Manage raw material availability in support of production schedules while balancing inventory levels and working capital objectives.
• Lead cost reduction and margin improvement initiatives through strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, alternative materials, and volume leverage.
• Monitor supplier performance related to quality, delivery, pricing, and service; proactively resolve supply disruptions or non-conformance issues.
• Track and analyze raw material market trends, including resin pricing, energy impacts, and supply chain risks affecting vinyl and chemical markets.
• Maintain strong working relationships with key raw material suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure purchasing activities comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, and ethical standards.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to purchasing processes, SAP utilization, and data reporting.
• Provide guidance or informal mentorship to junior buyers or purchasing support staff as needed.

Qualifications

Required:

• 5 years of purchasing or procurement experience, with a strong emphasis on raw materials in a chemical, plastics, vinyl, coated textiles, or polymer-based manufacturing environment.
• Solid hands-on SAP experience 
• Proven experience negotiating raw material contracts and managing pricing volatility tied to resins, energy, or chemical markets.
• Strong understanding of inventory management, material planning, and production-driven procurement.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, manufacturing-focused environment.

Preferred:

• Professional certification such as CPIM, CPSM, or CPP (a plus but not necessary)
• Experience sourcing PVC resins, plasticizers, stabilizers, pigments, coatings, or specialty chemicals.
• Familiarity with regulatory or compliance considerations a plus.
• Exposure to lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies, a plus.