Head of Inventory & Purchasing Strategy

XL Parts / The Parts House; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

XL Parts / The Parts House is seeking a seasoned Purchasing Manager to lead the Buyer team and own the end-to-end purchasing and inventory planning process. You will translate forecasts into actionable purchasing plans, balance service levels with working capital, and drive continuous improvement across purchasing operations.

The role requires strong leadership, financial acumen, and ability to optimize inventory across multiple locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations, finance, or related field.
• 10+ years in purchasing, supply chain, inventory management, replenishment, or demand planning.
• 5+ years in people management, leading Buyers or supply chain teams.
• Experience in multi-location distribution or retail environments preferred.
• Strong knowledge of purchasing, inventory planning, forecasting, budgeting, and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Buyer team with clear expectations and accountability.
• Oversee purchasing activities and ensure PO accuracy and timeliness.
• Manage inventory planning and replenishment to meet demand and service levels.
• Align purchasing with budgets, forecasts, lead times, and inventory targets.
• Monitor in-stock levels, fill rates, turns, and days of supply.
• Identify shortages and excess inventory; drive corrective actions.
• Improve purchasing and inventory processes, controls, and automation.
• Develop purchasing forecasts from sales, COGS, seasonality, and initiatives.
• Monitor performance against budgets and forecasts; act on variances.
• Own end-to-end PO management; resolve delays and exceptions.
• Establish supplier performance expectations and maintain lead times and order accuracy.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Finance, Operations, and Distribution to meet objectives.
• Coach and develop the Buyer team; establish KPIs for performance.

Skills

ERP software

Excel

Analytical skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Forecasting

Budgeting

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain or related

Tools

ERP software

Forecasting tools

Job description

XL Parts / The Parts House is seeking a seasoned Purchasing Manager to lead the Buyer team and own the end-to-end purchasing and inventory planning process. You will translate forecasts into actionable purchasing plans, balance service levels with working capital, and drive continuous improvement across purchasing operations.

The role requires strong leadership, financial acumen, and ability to optimize inventory across multiple locations.