Luxury Hotel Purchasing & Vendor Relations Lead

The Cooper; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cooper in Charleston seeks a Purchasing Manager to oversee procurement, sourcing, receiving oversight, inventory control, and vendor management for the hotel. You will lead Purchasing, Receiving, and Storeroom teams to ensure on-time, cost-effective, quality supply across all hotel operations.

This role partners with departments and vendors to negotiate contracts, monitor market trends, and drive cost discipline while maintaining operational reliability and guest satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of progressive purchasing, procurement, or hospitality management experience; luxury hotel experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of procurement practices, inventory management, contract negotiation, and cost control.
• Experience with procurement and inventory systems such as Infor, BirchStreet, Coupa, or comparable procure‑to‑pay platforms.
• Proven ability to manage vendor relationships and negotiate favorable pricing and service agreements.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and financial management skills.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities with demonstrated success building cross‑functional partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Manage all purchasing activities for the hotel, ensuring timely procurement of goods and services across food and beverage, operating supplies, equipment, linens, guest amenities, spa products, engineering supplies, retail merchandise, and contracted services.
• Review and approve purchase requisitions and purchase orders in accordance with company policies and authorization guidelines.
• Ensure purchasing activities align with approved budgets, operating forecasts, and financial objectives.
• Monitor market conditions, pricing trends, and supply availability to identify cost‑saving opportunities and minimize operational disruptions.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for hotel vendors, suppliers, and service providers.
• Develop and maintain vendor relationships that deliver competitive pricing, service reliability, and product quality consistent with BHC standards.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing agreements, payment terms, and service‑level expectations.
• Evaluate vendor performance and address quality concerns, delivery issues, shortages, and discrepancies promptly.
• Identify and qualify new suppliers that support the hotel’s operational and service standards.
• Oversee inventory management practices to ensure proper stock levels and minimize waste across all departments.
• Collaborate with Receiving and Storeroom teams to verify deliveries, inventory accuracy, and product quality.
• Enforce FIFO inventory practices across all applicable departments.
• Monitor inventory turnover and purchasing trends to optimize stock levels and reduce carrying costs.
• Investigate and resolve inventory variances, damaged goods, and receiving discrepancies.
• Analyze purchasing data and spending patterns to identify cost‑saving opportunities and inform leadership.
• Prepare purchasing reports, vendor performance metrics, and cost analyses for hotel leadership.
• Support annual budget preparation, forecasting processes, and month‑end inventory and financial reconciliation.
• Ensure accurate coding of purchases and adherence to departmental budgets.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, contracts, supplier documentation, and procurement files in compliance with company policies, internal controls, and audit requirements.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, food safety requirements, and sustainability initiatives.
• Partner with Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Spa, Engineering, Security, and all operational departments to anticipate business needs and ensure timely delivery of products and services.
• Coordinate with Finance and Accounts Payable to ensure accurate invoice reconciliation and timely vendor payments.
• Provide flexible support to purchasing operations at other BHC properties when needed.
• Lead, train, and develop Purchasing, Receiving, and Storeroom team members, establishing departmental goals, procedures, and performance standards.
• Conduct regular coaching, training, and performance evaluations for all direct reports.

Skills

Negotiation

Vendor relationships

Leadership

Financial acumen

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, hospitality or related field

Tools

Infor

BirchStreet

Coupa

Job description

The Cooper in Charleston seeks a Purchasing Manager to oversee procurement, sourcing, receiving oversight, inventory control, and vendor management for the hotel. You will lead Purchasing, Receiving, and Storeroom teams to ensure on-time, cost-effective, quality supply across all hotel operations.

This role partners with departments and vendors to negotiate contracts, monitor market trends, and drive cost discipline while maintaining operational reliability and guest satisfaction.