Purchasing Agent

Clayton Homes; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Brohn Homes is seeking a Purchasing Agent to drive procurement strategy across construction projects. You will manage budgeting, bid solicitations, vendor negotiations, and contract admin to ensure value and quality in every community.

You will collaborate with design, architecture, and construction teams to optimize costs, improve processes, and implement national contracts where applicable. A strong background in purchasing and cost analysis is required.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma required; an Associate or Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Communications, Construction, or related field preferred.
• At least 2 years of experience in construction contracting or purchasing, ideally residential homebuilding.
• Growth mindset with willingness to lead negotiations, manage budgets, and make strategic purchasing decisions.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills with vendors, contractors, and cross-functional teams.
• Analytical ability with budgets and cost analysis; balance detail with big picture.

Responsibilities

• Own the Day-to-Day Purchasing Cycle.
• Develop budgets and solicit bids for new communities.
• Prepare and review material take-offs and cost estimates with subcontractors and consultants.
• Evaluate subcontractors and negotiate with vendors to secure competitive, fair contracts.
• Analyze proposals and prepare bid-award packages with detailed cost breakdowns and leadership approval.
• Maintain complete and compliant purchasing records in SharePoint.
• Oversee the contract administration process for timeliness, clarity, and accountability.
• Category & Cost Management; manage spend categories and align with national programs when applicable.
• Collaborate with warranty, construction, and design teams for product/process improvements.
• Monitor and maintain direct cost budgets for new community setups and plan additions.
• Leverage national contracts and economies of scale for value and efficiency.
• Partner with construction to streamline labor and material supply chain processes.

Skills

Budgeting

Negotiation

Vendor Management

Data Analysis

Communication

Excel

Education

High School Diploma

Associate or Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

KOVA

Job description

Position Summary:

The Purchasing Agent serves as a key driver of Brohn Homes' procurement strategy, balancing cost efficiency with quality and fairness. This role is responsible for leading the full purchasing cycle - from budgeting and bid solicitation to vendor negotiations and contract management. By analyzing costs, leveraging economies of scale, and fostering strong vendor partnerships, the Purchasing Agent ensures Brohn delivers homes that reflect both value and excellence. Acting as a strategic partner to construction, design, and architecture teams, this position plays a critical part in shaping the financial and operational success of every community we build.

Duties / Responsibilities:

• Own the Day-to-Day Purchasing Cycle
• Develop budgets and solicit bids for new communities.
• Prepare and review material take-offs and cost estimates with subcontractors and consultants.
• Evaluate subcontractors and negotiate with vendors to secure competitive, fair contracts.
• Analyze proposals and prepare bid-award packages with detailed cost breakdowns and recommendations for leadership approval.
• Maintain complete and compliant purchasing records in SharePoint to ensure accuracy and transparency.
• Oversee the contract administration process to ensure timeliness, clarity, and accountability.
• Category & Cost Management
• Manage assigned spend categories, ensuring accurate hard costs and alignment with national programs when applicable.
• Collaborate with warranty, construction, and design teams to review issues and implement product or process improvements.
• Monitor and maintain direct cost budgets for accuracy, including new community setups and plan additions.
• Leverage national contracts and economies of scale to maximize division value and cost efficiency.
• Drive Continuous Improvement
• Partner with the construction team to streamline labor and material supply chain processes.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction while minimizing material waste and pricing discrepancies.
• Provide feedback on redline plan changes and participate in floor plan reviews to improve design and value.
• Support Options & Product Plans
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of sales and design studio options, ensuring accurate pricing and timely updates.
• Manage the options database and keep all product changes current.
• Collaborate with KB Architecture on new product development and maintenance initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Act as a resource for construction, sales, and estimating teams to ensure smooth rollouts of communities and plans.
• Coordinate with vendors and trade partners to resolve discrepancies and ensure alignment with Brohn standards.

Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: High School Diploma required; an Associate or Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Communications, Construction, or a related field is preferred.
• At least 2 years of experience in construction contracting or purchasing is required, ideally with exposure to residential homebuilding.
• Growth Mindset: Ready to take the next step beyond coordination - leading negotiations, managing budgets, and making strategic purchasing decisions.
• Collaboration Skills: Strong communicator who can build trust and maintain professional relationships with vendors, contractors, and cross-functional teams.
• Analytical Ability: Confident with numbers, budgets, and cost analysis, with the ability to see both details and the bigger picture.
• Decision-Making & Negotiation: Skilled at evaluating options, negotiating fairly, and making sound purchasing decisions that balance cost, quality, and value.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook, with the ability to quickly learn and adapt to computerized purchasing systems such as KOVA (or similar platforms).
• Personal Attributes: Organized, proactive, and solutions-oriented, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities while maintaining fairness, accuracy, and integrity.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment.

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.While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and move up to [10] pounds and occasionally lift and move objects up to [25] pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time, exempt position. Under the Regulations, Part 541, an exempt employee is one