Strategic Purchasing & Materials Manager

Chief Industries; Kearney (NE); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Life insurance

Short-term disability

Health Insurance

Vision Insurance

Financial wellness

Employee assistance

Paid holidays

Education assistance

Job summary

Chief Industries is seeking a dedicated Purchasing Manager to lead all purchasing and procurement activities for materials, equipment, and services. You will negotiate terms, build supplier relationships, and collaborate with operations, production, engineering, and finance to support manufacturing goals and customer commitments.

The role requires strong knowledge of procurement processes, ERP/MRP systems, and cost optimization in a manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management in manufacturing.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or related field preferred.
• High School Diploma or GED required.

Responsibilities

• Negotiates pricing, payment terms, lead times, freight arrangements, service levels, warranties, and other commercial terms to achieve best overall value.
• Builds and maintains strong supplier relationships to support reliable delivery and continuous improvement.
• Identifies and qualifies potential suppliers based on cost, quality, capacity, delivery performance, and risk.
• Maintains accurate data and partners with internal teams for costing, budgeting, and financial analysis.
• Leads strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, cost-reduction initiatives without compromising production needs.
• Monitors market conditions and develops contingency plans for material availability.
• Oversees purchasing and materials planning, ensures inventory levels, and enforces company policies.

Skills

Procurement

Supplier relationship

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's in Supply Chain or related

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Chief Industries is seeking a dedicated Purchasing Manager to lead all purchasing and procurement activities for materials, equipment, and services. You will negotiate terms, build supplier relationships, and collaborate with operations, production, engineering, and finance to support manufacturing goals and customer commitments.

The role requires strong knowledge of procurement processes, ERP/MRP systems, and cost optimization in a manufacturing environment.