Purchasing Manager

Who is Kee Safety Inc?

Separating People from Hazards is our life's work. Kee Safety, Inc. is the North American business operation of Kee Safety, Ltd. in the United Kingdom. We maintain a strong sales presence here in the USA with our manufacturing and warehouse center headquartered in Buffalo, New York.

Kee Safety is the leading global supplier of safety systems and solutions. When you join the Kee Team, you are not only aligning yourself with the leading safety and fall prevention experts in North America but with people who are passionate about fall prevention, safety, and who care about their company and its customers.

At Kee Safety, we are always looking for driven, talented individuals to join our team and contribute to our mission of providing innovative safety solutions. Our company culture is built on collaboration, diversity, and a commitment to excellence, and we are proud to offer a range of exciting career opportunities in engineering, sales, marketing, operations, and more. If you're ready to take the next step in your career and make a meaningful impact in the safety industry, we invite you to apply and become a part of our team.

What Can We Offer You?

We are proud of our culture. We believe in our employees and understand that when they are engaged and happy - they will thrive and our business will grow.

Our corporate culture includes:

• A strong, collaborative work environment
• Training, training and more training
• Development programs created to empower our team
• Life-long friendships
• Our Kee Giving Sponsorship Program: Kee Safety will donate to community initiatives that employees support outside of work

Kee Safety provides some of the best benefits around:

• 401k plan with company match and profit sharing contributions
• A comprehensive benefits program with multiple plans to choose from

Job Description

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for overseeing the procurement process of goods and services for North America, including researching suppliers, negotiating contracts, managing inventory levels, and ensuring the best quality products are obtained at the most competitive price, while aligning with company needs and budget constraints; essentially acting as the primary point of contact for sourcing and purchasing materials necessary for business operations.

Job Duties

1. Lead and direct the work of purchasing buyers including hiring, training and performance management.
2. Continually improve purchasing methods/processes.
3. Develop a purchasing strategy.
4. Implement and manage appropriate KPI's for purchasing, inventory control and supplier performance.
5. Identify opportunities and implement solutions for cost savings.
6. Help maintain, setup, and update all items within our ERP system.
7. Daily use and updating of ERP and non-ERP ordering systems, including generating of PO's, sending PO's to suppliers, general ordering of materials and services, monitoring status of open orders with vendors, and active communication with vendors and internal customers/departments on updates of open orders.
8. Manage logistics of materials and services, domestically and internationally to meet internal and external customer requirements.
9. Ensure appropriate min/max levels are established, monitored, and tracked.
10. Coordinate with appropriate parties to address freight claims/issues.
11. Demonstrates effective communication and problem-solving skills.
12. Research and evaluate suppliers/contracts to ensure its performance is aligned with established specifications.
13. Negotiate or renegotiate and administer agreements/contracts with vendors.
14. Ensures quality and on-time delivery of procured issues are addressed in a timely way with the appropriate vendor
15. Review and maintain good record of purchasing files and records.
16. Back up purchasing buyer to include ordering of supplies/goods, equipment and material as well as reviewing, and processing/issuing of purchase orders.
17. Response to inquiries from internal and external sources in providing information, direction, and or appropriate referrals.
18. Collaborates with other departments and leadership to identify and develop needs and requirements for materials, products, and acceptable substitutions.
19. Assesses current material availability; reasonably predicts future availability based on the market, delivery systems, and other variables.
20. Prepares and presents market conditions and material cost reports.
21. Coordinates removal or disposal of surplus materials.
22. Special projects and/or other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma, or equivalent certificate
• Business Administration degree is preferred
• APICS and CPIM certifications are preferred
• Previous experience with purchasing management
• Previous experience in the distribution industry
• Relevant experience working in an office environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written as well as verbal)
• Detailed-oriented, problem solving, self-auditing skill
• Ability to manage and prioritize schedule of daily/monthly tasks
• Self-motivated, individual contributor and team player
• Working knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and general business systems
• Able to learn and adapt in a growing environment

Individual characteristics

The Purchasing Manager position requires a self-directed, forward thinking, and energetic person who is results oriented and capable of professional and detailed follow through. This role will be a driving force ensuring we provide the very best of customer service through timely and accurate shipments.

• Ability to maintain a consistent professional image for Kee Safety
• Lead by example with positive attitude towards both inside and outside of Kee Safety
• Work within a team atmosphere
• Proactively recognize problems and work with immediate supervisor and manager to resolve them
• Ability to learn and adapt in a growing environment

Special/Particular Requirements (safety, physical, etc)

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While the position is primarily performed in an office environment, there may be occasions where the employee may be required to reach with hands and arms; climb, balance or lift.
• Must be able to stand and walk for up to 8 hours
• May be required to lift up to 50 lbs. occasionally

Join our team and grow with us, there is a world of possibilities out there!

Kee Safety Inc., is an equal opportunity employer