Field/Site Purchaser (Construction)

Burns & McDonnell; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Burns & McDonnell in Houston, TX seeks a Field/Site Purchaser to manage site-based procurement supporting active construction operations. You will source routine commodities, solicit quotes, coordinate with vendors, and maintain procurement documentation to keep projects on schedule.

The role provides autonomy with escalation for high-value issues to Procurement Manager, ensuring materials and services meet project requirements and compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of procurement principles and processes.
• Experience in purchasing for field construction or EPC environments.
• Ability to solicit quotes, compare vendors, and issue POs.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Review site-initiated requisitions and convert to Purchase Orders.
• Solicit competitive quotes from local, regional, and national suppliers.
• Confirm pricing, specs, and delivery with suppliers prior to PO issuance.
• Expedite POs and track deliveries to align with construction schedules.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies and cost controls.

Skills

Procurement principles

Vendor management

Sourcing

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Bachelor Degree in Supply Chain Management, Law or Construction related field

Tools

Oracle Financial R12

Microsoft Office Suite

ERP (Oracle/SAP)

Job description

Description

Job Summary

The Field/Site Staff Purchaser is responsible for the execution and administration of site-based procurement activities in support of active self-perform construction operations. This role goes beyond transactional processing to include independent sourcing of routine commodities, competitive quote solicitation, vendor coordination, and procurement documentation management. The Field/Site Staff Purchaser operates with a moderate degree of autonomy, exercising sound commercial judgment on day-to-day purchasing decisions while escalating complex or high-value matters to the Procurement Manager. This position serves as a reliable procurement resource for field supervision and craft personnel, ensuring that materials, consumables, tools, and services are procured accurately, compliantly, and in support of the project schedule.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and process site-initiated purchase requisitions into formal, fully executed Purchase Orders (POs) for a broad range of goods and services, including construction consumables, hand and power tools, safety supplies, bulk civil materials, equipment rentals, and off-the-shelf commodities.
• Independently solicit competitive quotes from approved local, regional, and national suppliers for routine to moderately complex purchases, applying sound commercial judgment in vendor selection and award recommendations.
• Confirm pricing, technical specifications, delivery requirements, and special handling needs with suppliers prior to PO issuance to minimize field receiving discrepancies.
• Expedite open purchase orders and proactively track deliveries to ensure materials arrive at the project site in alignment with construction schedules, communicating potential delays to the Field/Site Senior Purchaser and site leadership with sufficient lead time to allow for mitigation.
• Support emergency and out-of-sequence procurement needs as directed, responding with urgency while maintaining compliance with procurement policies and delegation of authority thresholds.

Documentation, Compliance, and Cost Control

• Collect, verify, organize, and maintain all procurement documentation throughout the purchase order lifecycle, including signed delivery tickets, packing slips, order confirmations, quote documentation, and vendor correspondence, in preparation for invoice reconciliation and project closeout.
• Assign accurate project cost codes to all purchases in accordance with project controls procedures and the project work breakdown structure (WBS).
• Assist with the preparation and reconciliation of monthly purchasing card (P-Card) statements, ensuring all transactions are supported by receipts, properly coded, and compliant with corporate card usage policies.
• Identify and elevate pricing discrepancies, duplicate charges, or invoice variances to the Field/Site Senior Purchaser and accounting team for timely resolution.
• Ensure all purchasing activities are executed in strict compliance with Burns & McDonnell procurement policies, delegation of authority requirements, prime contract obligations, and applicable ethical standards.

Vendor Coordination and Stakeholder Support

• Serve as a knowledgeable and responsive point of contact for field supervision, craft foremen, and site personnel on routine to moderately complex purchasing inquiries, providing timely and accurate information to support uninterrupted construction operations.
• Communicate professionally and effectively with vendors to resolve order-related issues, including delivery discrepancies, quantity variances, substitution requests, and basic invoice disputes, escalating unresolved matters appropriately.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with local and regional suppliers to support competitive pricing, reliable service, and responsive issue resolution.
• Provide procurement data, spend reports, documentation packages, and administrative support to the Field/Project Team and Procurement Manager as requested.
• Participate in project procurement planning meetings, site coordination calls, and material status reviews as directed by the Project Manager / Construction Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree in Supply Chain Management, Law or Construction related field. and 3 years direct purchasing experience required.
• Or applicable experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
• Project purchasing experience preferred.
• Oracle Financial R12 software experience preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proficient computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite)
• Strong attention to detail, facilitation, team building, collaboration, organization and problem solving skills.
• Experience in devising new approaches to purchasing problems encountered.
• CPM Certification preferred.
• Or CPSM Certification preferred.Preferred qualifications:
• A minimum of three to five years of progressive procurement or purchasing experience, with at least two years in a construction, EPC, or heavy industrial field environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience processing purchase orders, soliciting competitive quotes, and managing vendor relationships in a project-based or field setting preferred.
• Familiarity with self-perform construction operations and an understanding of how procurement activities directly impact project schedule and cost preferred.
• Experience working within a structured procurement environment with defined policies, delegation of authority thresholds, and project cost coding requirements preferred.
• Prior experience supporting or coordinating with a central procurement organization while embedded in a field or project site environment is preferred.Skills and Competencies:
• Solid working knowledge of procurement principles, purchasing processes, and supply chain fundamentals as applied in a construction or industrial project environment preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with intermediate to advanced Excel skills for spend tracking, quote comparison, and cost reporting preff.
• Experience with ERP or procurement management systems (Oracle, SAP, or equivalent) with the ability to learn and adapt to enterprise procurement platforms quickly.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple open purchase orders, competing priorities, and time-sensitive material needs simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret purchase requisitions, material specifications, and basic construction documents to ensure purchased materials meet project technical requirements.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with field supervision, craft personnel, vendors, and central procurement staff.
• Sound commercial judgment with the ability to make independent purchasing decisions within established authority levels and escalating appropriately when thresholds are exceeded.
• Proactive, self-directed work ethic with a strong service orientation toward field operations and project team needs.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced field environment with changing priorities, physical site conditions, and time-sensitive demands.

This job posting will remain open a minimum of 72 hours and on an ongoing basis until filled.

EEO/Disabled/Veterans

Job Procurement

Primary Location US-TX-Houston

Schedule: Full-time

Travel: Yes, 5 % of the Time

Req ID: 264796

Job Hire Type Experienced #LI-MF #CDB