Purchasing Operations Manager

Frontier Co-op; Norway; On-site; NOK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Frontier Co-op is seeking an experienced Purchasing Operations Manager to lead a team of Buyers and drive day-to-day purchasing activity. You will translate category strategies into actionable procurement, oversee co-packing and external manufacturing, and lead continuous improvement of purchasing processes and ERP systems.

You will collaborate across Purchasing, Planning, Operations, Quality, Finance, and R&D to support supplier selection and ongoing relationships while ensuring cost, service,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, operations, finance, engineering, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, planning, operations, or a related discipline.
• Three or more years of direct leadership or significant team-leading experience.
• Lean, Six Sigma, ISM/CPSM, ASCM/APICS, or project-management certification is beneficial but not required.

Responsibilities

• Lead Buyers and Senior Buyers, coaching, developing, and evaluating performance while building capability in purchasing fundamentals and ERP utilization.
• Direct purchasing activities based on production requirements, inventory risk, supplier constraints, category strategies, and business needs.
• Oversee co-packing and external manufacturing partners, managing purchase orders, production schedules, and supplier performance.
• Improve purchasing processes, policies, procedures, and internal controls; drive ERP enhancements and data quality.
• Coordinate cross-functional handoffs among Purchasing, Planning, Operations, Quality, Finance, and suppliers, escalating issues as needed.
• Lead RFPs, cost analyses, and supplier negotiations to support co-packer selection and ongoing relationships.

Skills

Team leadership

Purchasing execution

Cross-functional collaboration

ERP systems experience

Supplier management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management or related field

Lean/Six Sigma or similar certification (optional)

Tools

ERP software

Advanced Excel

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Purchasing Operations Manager tolead our team of Buyers andbe responsible for executing the day-to-day purchasing activity, supporting the companys broad supply chain organization. In this role, you will convert category strategies, sourcing decisions, supplier agreements, and business priorities into accurate, timely, and consistent purchasing execution. In addition to people leadership and purchasing execution, this position owns co-packing operations, purchasing process improvement, ERP enhancements, and Purchasing representation on cross-functional initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Buyer Team Leadership and Purchasing Execution Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate Buyers and Senior Buyers while building capability inpurchasing fundamentals, ERP utilization, supplier management, analysis, and problem-solvingSet team priorities and direct purchasing activities based on production requirements, inventory risk, supplier constraints, category strategies, and business needsEnsure timely and accurate purchase order execution, including creation, maintenance, confirmations, expediting, price updates, supplier follow-up, and exception resolutionCoordinate cross-functional handoffs among Purchasing, Planning, Operations, Quality, Finance, and suppliers, escalating significant supply, pricing, capacity, quality, service, or contractual issues as needed Co-Packing and External Manufacturing Lead operational management of co-packing and external manufacturing partners, overseeing purchase orders, production schedules, material availability, inventory, pricing, capacity, and service performancePartner cross-functionally with Purchasing, Operations, Planning, Quality, R&D, Marketing, and Finance to support co-packer selection, onboarding, commercialization, and ongoing relationship managementMonitor and improve co-packer performance across cost, service, quality, inventory, schedule adherence, capacity, and responsiveness, whileidentifying opportunities for greater efficiency and business continuityLead resolution of co-packer issues and support sourcing activities, including RFPs, cost analysis, commercial negotiations, capacity evaluations, contract administration, and corrective action management Purchasing Processes, Systems, and Continuous Improvement Serve as the business process owner forpurchasing systems, ERP workflows, master data, reporting, controls, and technology enhancements, including requirements development, testing, implementation, training, and supportLead efforts to simplify, standardize, automate, and strengthenpurchasing processes, policies, procedures, work instructions, approval workflows, and internal controlsDrive continuous improvement initiatives using data analysis, process mapping, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving methodologiesImprove purchasing dashboards, reporting, and data quality while ensuring effective adoption and long-term sustainability of system and process changes across the Purchasing organization Cross-Functional Projects and Supply Chain Initiatives Represent Purchasing on majorcompany and supply chain initiatives, including new product launches, facility projects, acquisitions, integrations, network changes, and strategic operational programsLead Purchasing participation in the implementation and optimization of supply chain planning systems, ensuring supplier constraints, lead times, sourcing rules, pricing, and other purchasing data are accurately reflected in planning processesCoordinate Purchasing project deliverables, resources, timelines, testing, issue resolution, and implementation readiness, while communicating status, risks, decisions, and resource needs to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders Capital Expenditure Monitoring Oversee Purchasingsupport for approximately $10 million in annual capital expenditures, partnering with Engineering, Operations, Finance, and project teams to establish effective purchasing and financial controlsMonitor capital projectpurchasing activity, including purchase orders, contracts, invoices, change orders, budget consumption, forecasts, commitments, and project closeout, while providing visibility to spending and forecast statusEnsure compliance with sourcing, authorization, contracting, and documentation requirements,identify spending risks and potential overruns, and support capital equipment negotiations and supplier coordination as needed Performance Management and Governance Establish andmonitor key performance indicators for purchasing operations, providing regular reporting and visibility into material availability, supplier performance, purchase order execution, co-packer performance, process compliance, system adoption, and project statusLead operational reviews with Buyers, Senior Buyers,Purchasing Managers, and cross-functional stakeholders to drive accountability, performance improvement, and risk mitigationEnsure compliance with company policies, delegated authority, contracts, ethical sourcing standards, quality requirements, and internal controls, while supporting audits, risk assessments, corrective actions, and supply continuity planning

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This job has supervisory responsibilities

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. These requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Bachelors degree in supply chain management, business, operations, finance, engineering, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be consideredSeven or more years of progressive experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, planning, operations, or a related discipline Three or more years of direct leadership or significant team‑leadership experience Lean, Six Sigma, ISM/CPSM, ASCM/APICS, or project‑management certification is beneficial but not required.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and comprehend detailed instructions, correspondence, reports and memos. Ability to communicate cross‑functionally both internally and externally.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Demonstrated purchasing execution experience in manufacturing, food, consumer packaged goods, or a similarly complex operating environmentBackground with ERP purchasing systems, process design, system implementations, testing, master data, and reportingExposure to co‑packers, contract manufacturers, or external production partners strongly preferredTrack record in leading cross‑functional process‑improvement or technology initiativesHands‑on experience with supporting capital equipment purchasing or capital expenditure monitoring preferredAbility to connect strategic category management with disciplined transactional execution and translate business requirements into practical system and process solutionsStrongproject‑management, change‑management, analytical, financial, and problem‑solving skillsEffective communication with employees, suppliers, executives, and cross‑functional stakeholders.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENTS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.