Purchasing Manager - Children's, Callisto and Custom Publishing

Sourcebooks; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Prescription drug insurance

Dental

Vision

Flexible Spending Account

Health Savings Account 401(k)

Job summary

Sourcebooks is seeking a Purchasing Manager for Children’s, Callisto, and Custom Publishing to drive end-to-end print buying across a dynamic portfolio. You will optimize cost, quality, and speed to market while leading a high-performing team.

The role offers hybrid or remote options in multiple states, with an annual salary range of $85,000–$90,000, based on location and experience. You will collaborate across departments to improve manufacturing efficiency and business performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of experience in print purchasing, print buying, or manufacturing within book publishing or related consumer products industry.
• 2+ years of experience supervising, training, or coaching a purchasing or production team.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end print-buying and manufacturing for books and custom projects.
• Oversee forecasting, vendor sourcing, bidding, press scheduling, print quantities, and on-time delivery.
• Lead, support, and develop a team of print buyers, coach and build vendor relationships.
• Drive process improvements, manage vendor relationships, support product development, provide reporting and insights.

Skills

Print purchasing

Vendor management

Team leadership

Forecasting

Bidding

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or supply chain

Tools

Excel

Job description

Help bring the next generation of books to readers. As Purchasing Manager for Children's, Callisto, and Custom Publishing, you'll drive day-to-day print buying across a dynamic portfolio, optimizing cost, quality, and speed to market, while leading and developing a high-performing team that turns great ideas into beautifully made books.

The location for this position can be hybrid or remote in New York or Naperville, Illinois or remote based in any of the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.

The annual salary range for this role is $85,000 - $90,000. We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.

What you’ll do:

• As Purchasing Manager for Children’s, Callisto, and Custom Publishing, you’ll lead the end-to-end print-buying and manufacturing process for an exciting portfolio of books and custom projects.
• You’ll oversee forecasting, vendor sourcing, bidding, press scheduling, print quantities, and on-time delivery while balancing cost, quality, and speed to market.
• You’ll lead, support, and develop a team of print buyers by setting priorities, removing obstacles, building cross‑training opportunities, and coaching team members toward greater ownership of their work and vendor relationships.
• Working closely with Data, Inventory, Fulfillment, Sales, Editorial, Design, and Production, you’ll drive process improvements, manage vendor relationships, support custom and novelty‑format product development, and provide reporting and insights that improve manufacturing efficiency and business performance.

What you bring

• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of experience in print purchasing, print buying, or manufacturing within book publishing or a related consumer products industry.
• 2+ years of experience supervising, training, or coaching a purchasing or production team.

Why Sourcebooks?

Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial publisher driven by our mission to change lives through books. The fifth-largest publisher in the U.S. by print units sold, we bring extraordinary authors to readers in dynamic, data-driven ways, leading to hundreds of national and international bestsellers. Our insight-driven approach has earned us recognition from Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company, a Best Workplace for Innovators, a Most Loved Workplace by Newsweek, a Best Workplace by Inc., and Publishers Weekly’s nod as “the most successful self‑made publisher operating in the 21st century.”. Story by story, book by book, we have changed more than 300 million lives. Join us as we change 300 million more!

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program.

• Medical/Prescription drug insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Health Care
• Dependent Care
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Savings Account 401(k)
• Short and Long‑Term Disability Insurance
• Life/AD&D Insurance
• & gener... paid time off

Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran.