Description:
Farmers & Builders Ace Hardware is looking for a dependable, organized, and analytical Purchasing Agent to help manage purchasing and inventory across our multi-location hardware and building-material operations.
This is an important position within our company. The Purchasing Agent will help ensure our stores have the products they need while controlling inventory investment, reducing stock-outs and excess inventory, and maintaining strong vendor relationships.
Responsibilities:
- Review inventory levels, sales history, and product demand to determine purchasing needs.
- Prepare and submit purchase orders accurately and on time.
- Maintain appropriate inventory levels across multiple locations.
- Monitor fast-moving, seasonal, promotional, and special-order merchandise.
- Identify potential stock-outs, overstocks, slow-moving merchandise, and obsolete inventory.
- Communicate with vendors regarding pricing, availability, lead times, shortages, substitutions, and deliveries.
- Verify vendor pricing, discounts, rebates, freight terms, and purchasing programs.
- Work with store managers, operations, sales, and management to coordinate purchasing needs.
- Monitor cost changes and identify opportunities to improve margins and purchasing efficiency.
- Assist with vendor credits, returns, discontinued items, and inventory-reduction efforts.
- Use reports and purchasing data to make informed buying decisions.
- Continually look for opportunities to improve product availability, inventory turns, and company profitability.
Qualifications:
- Previous experience in purchasing, inventory management, retail, wholesale distribution, hardware, lumber, or building materials is preferred.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Comfortable working with numbers, reports, and inventory data.
- Strong computer skills; Microsoft Excel experience is preferred.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of responsibilities.
- Strong judgment, integrity, and follow-through.
Preferred experience: Ace Hardware, hardware retail, lumber, building materials, multi-location retail, or wholesale distribution.
What We Are Looking For:
- Thinks like an owner when spending company money.
- Notices problems before they become emergencies.
- Understands the importance of both strong in-stock levels and responsible inventory investment.
- Questions unusual costs, quantities, or inventory levels.
- Follows problems through until they are completely resolved.
- Communicates clearly with vendors, stores, and management.
- Wants to continually improve purchasing and inventory performance.
Requirements:
- High School Diploma or Eqivalent
- Must pass a national backgound check
- Must be able to pass a drug screen
