Purchasing Agent - Manufacturing

Suburban Enterprises, Inc.; Appleton (WI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team Member Ownership

Commitment to Safety

Career Growth

Continuous Learning

Collaborative Culture

Comprehensive Benefits

Job summary

Suburban Enterprises, Inc. invites you to join as a Purchasing Agent - Manufacturing, a role built for hands-on procurement with ownership in the company.

You will drive day-to-day material purchases, manage inventory levels to prevent stockouts and excess costs, and partner with Production to align forecasts with supply. Responsibilities include issuing POs, supplier sourcing, tracking pricing, coordinating with the Purchasing team on documentation, and improving processes from plan to material

Qualifications

• 3+ years purchasing or buying experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with inventory management and ERP/MRP systems.
• Familiarity with production scheduling and demand forecasting.
• Strong vendor relationship and negotiation skills at the transactional level.
• Comfortable working closely with production/operations teams.
• Comfortable holding peers and direct reports accountable to metrics; can use coaching, feedback and discipline effectively.
• Proven ability building performance metrics and supporting a strong culture between field and office.

Responsibilities

• Issue purchase orders for raw materials and components based on production schedules.
• Source and price materials to support manufacturing demand.
• Monitor supplier lead times and adjust order timing to avoid production delays.
• Support new product introduction sourcing as needed.
• Maintain min/max inventory levels and reorder points.
• Conduct or support cycle counts and inventory accuracy checks.
• Manage aging and obsolete inventory and coordinate disposition.
• Reconcile inventory records within the system.
• Place and track orders with approved manufacturing suppliers.
• Verify pricing against budgeted or standard cost before issuing POs.
• Flag price discrepancies or supply chain risks to the Purchasing Supervisor.
• Partner with Production and Operations on demand forecasts and schedule changes.
• Communicate material availability and delays proactively.
• Support production planning meetings with material status updates.
• Coordinate with the Purchasing team on PO documentation.
• Create standard processes for: PO issuance and approval routing; Inventory replenishment and cycle counts; Supplier delivery tracking.
• Ensure smooth transition from production plan → material procurement and inventory availability, so production is never delayed by material shortages.

Skills

Vendor relationships

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, or operations management

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Take Ownership of Your Career and Shape Your Future!

Are you ready to become an Employee Owner? At Suburban Enterprises, you not only work for the company you own the company! The ideal candidate is happy where he/she is currently employed but is interested in a more self-directed work environment, increased responsibility, and the opportunity to grow into additional roles. We would like to hire someone interested in a career, not a job, who wants to do the work and be recognized for a job well done!

The Role – Purchasing Agent - Manufacturing

The Purchasing Agent - Manufacturing executes day-to-day procurement of raw materials, components, and supplies to keep production running on schedule, while managing inventory levels to avoid both stockouts and excess carrying costs.

What You'll Do

Production Material Procurement

• Issue purchase orders for raw materials and components based on production schedules
• Source and price materials to support manufacturing demand
• Monitor supplier lead times and adjust order timing to avoid production delays
• Support new product introduction sourcing as needed

Inventory Management

• Maintain min/max inventory levels and reorder points
• Conduct or support cycle counts and inventory accuracy checks
• Manage aging and obsolete inventory and coordinate disposition
• Reconcile inventory records within the system

Vendor & Cost Management

• Place and track orders with approved manufacturing suppliers
• Verify pricing against budgeted or standard cost before issuing POs
• Flag price discrepancies or supply chain risks to the Purchasing Supervisor

Production Coordination

• Partner with Production and Operations on demand forecasts and schedule changes
• Communicate material availability and delays proactively
• Support production planning meetings with material status updates
• Coordinate with the Purchasing team on PO documentation

Process & Documentation

• Create standard processes for:
• PO issuance and approval routing
• Inventory replenishment and cycle counts
• Supplier delivery tracking
• Ensure smooth transition from production plan → material procurement and inventory availability, so production is never delayed by material shortages

What You Bring (Required Experience)

• 3+ years purchasing or buying experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience with inventory management and ERP/MRP systems
• Familiarity with production scheduling and demand forecasting
• Strong vendor relationship and negotiation skills at the transactional level
• Comfortable working closely with production/operations teams
• Comfortable holding peers and direct reports accountable to metrics; can use coaching, feedback and discipline effectively
• Proven ability building performance metrics and supporting a strong culture between field and office.

Bonus Points For (Preferred Experience)

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, or operations management — preferred, or equivalent working experience

What We Offer – Why Choose Suburban Enterprises?

• Team Member Ownership: Work for a company where your contributions directly impact your future
• Commitment to Safety: Safety isn’t just a priority; it’s our promise to you and your family
• Career Growth: This isn't just a job - it's a career path with opportunities for advancement
• Continuous Learning: Investment in your professional development
• Collaborative Culture: Work with a team that values respect, integrity, and excellence
• Comprehensive Benefits: Competitive pay, ESOP, 401(K) with employer match, and no healthcare premium increases for 4 years

Ready to Join Us?

Our high standards of service to our customers and clients require that we select only the top team members based on our culture and core values so please read and understand them or come with clarifying questions because we work, live, hire and promote by them. We will choose new team members with great care because the future of Suburban Enterprises rests with them. You are here because we believe in your character and abilities.

If you're passionate about innovation, committed to excellence, and ready to be part of a company that invests in its people, we want to hear from you. Help us create a better future through innovation and automation.

We are an equal opportunity employer.