About us
OSF Company is a growing industrial contractor serving food and beverage manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. Our work includes sanitary process piping, utility piping, stainless steel fabrication, structural fabrication, equipment installation, mechanical installations, and industrial maintenance.
We are seeking an experienced Industrial Piping & Fabrication Buyer with direct purchasing experience in sanitary piping components, industrial piping materials, stainless steel, structural steel, aluminum, and fabrication supplies.
This is not an entry-level or general purchasing position. Candidates must have previous experience buying the types of industrial materials used in process piping and fabrication projects.
Position Summary
The Industrial Piping & Fabrication Buyer will be responsible for sourcing, quoting, negotiating, purchasing, expediting, and coordinating materials required for multiple industrial projects.
This position will work closely with Project Managers, Engineering, Operations, Accounting, vendors, and the Inventory & Warehouse Manager to ensure materials are purchased accurately, competitively, and delivered on time.
The position supports material logistics, freight coordination, deliveries, and equipment rentals. Warehouse operations, inventory control, receiving procedures, storage, and warehouse accountability are managed by OSF Company’s Inventory & Warehouse Manager.
Required Industry Experience
Candidates must have direct purchasing experience with sanitary process piping components and fabrication materials, including several of the following:
- Stainless steel sanitary tubing
- Sanitary fittings
- Clamps, gaskets, ferrules, and valves
- Process piping components
- Stainless steel pipe and fittings
- Carbon steel pipe and fittings
- Utility piping materials
- Pumps, motors, and mechanical components
- Stainless steel sheet and plate
- Carbon steel plate
- Structural steel
- Aluminum materials
- Angle, channel, tube, pipe, beam, and structural shapes
- Fasteners, anchors, welding consumables, and fabrication supplies
Applicants without relevant industrial piping or fabrication purchasing experience may not be considered.
Key Responsibilities
- Source and purchase materials for sanitary process piping, utility piping, mechanical installation, and fabrication projects.
- Obtain competitive quotations from qualified industrial suppliers.
- Review material specifications, quantities, grades, sizes, schedules, finishes, and project requirements.
- Compare pricing, availability, lead times, freight costs, and vendor terms.
- Negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, freight, and payment terms.
- Create, issue, track, and maintain accurate purchase orders.
- Confirm vendor acknowledgments, quantities, pricing, specifications, and delivery dates.
- Track and expedite materials from purchase through final delivery.
- Follow up on urgent orders, long-lead items, backorders, shortages, and shipping delays.
- Resolve incorrect materials, damaged shipments, missing items, and vendor discrepancies.
- Identify alternate suppliers when materials are unavailable or lead times are unacceptable.
- Coordinate freight, deliveries, equipment rentals, and project-related logistics.
- Communicate purchasing status, delivery dates, shortages, and risks to Project Managers.
- Coordinate with the Inventory & Warehouse Manager regarding receiving, staging, storage, and jobsite deliveries.
- Work with Accounting to resolve purchase order, invoice, pricing, and receiving discrepancies.
- Maintain organized records of quotations, purchase orders, vendor confirmations, and delivery documentation.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with qualified industrial suppliers.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising specifications, quality, or project schedules.
- Prevent project delays caused by missing, incorrect, or late materials.
- Take ownership of purchasing issues through final resolution.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of three years of industrial purchasing, procurement, or buyer experience.
- Direct experience purchasing sanitary tubing, sanitary fittings, valves, clamps, and process piping components.
- Experience purchasing structural steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and fabrication materials.
- Ability to read material lists, specifications, drawings, and bills of material.
- Strong understanding of material grades, sizes, schedules, finishes, and quantities.
- Strong vendor negotiation, communication, organization, and follow-up skills.
- Ability to manage purchasing requirements for multiple active projects.
- Strong attention to detail and purchase-order accuracy.
- Experience coordinating freight, deliveries, and industrial equipment rentals.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and Word.
- Ability to work full-time from our Tomball office.
- Authorization to work in the United States.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting food and beverage manufacturing projects.
- Experience with sanitary process piping or industrial mechanical contracting.
- Experience working with stainless steel fabrication shops.
- Familiarity with sanitary tubing sizes, pipe schedules, stainless steel grades, surface finishes, and common sanitary component manufacturers.
- Experience purchasing pumps, valves, instrumentation, mechanical equipment, and utility piping components.
- Experience using QuickBooks, Smartsheet, Microsoft 365, ERP systems, or purchasing software.
Successful Candidate
The successful candidate will be proactive, dependable, organized, detail-oriented, accountable, and comfortable working under deadlines.
This person must be able to communicate confidently with vendors, support multiple Project Managers, recognize material risks before they affect a project, and take full ownership of assigned purchasing responsibilities.
Benefits
- Competitive pay
- Health insurance
- 401(k)
- Paid holidays
- Career growth opportunities
- Professional development
- Stable and growing company
- Team-oriented work environment
Why Join OSF Company?
Purchasing is a critical part of project execution at OSF Company. The selected candidate will directly support industrial projects for major food and beverage manufacturing facilities and will have the opportunity to grow into greater responsibility within Purchasing, Procurement, and Supply Chain Management.
OSF Company is an equal opportunity employer.
Job Type: Full-time
Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- 1. How many years of direct experience do you have purchasing sanitary tubing, sanitary fittings, valves, clamps, process piping components, and structural fabrication materials?
- 2. Please list the sanitary piping and structural materials you have purchased in previous positions.
- 3. Have you previously purchased stainless steel sanitary tubing and fittings for food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, or similar process applications?
- 4. Do you have experience purchasing stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, sheet, plate, angle, channel, tubing, beams, and other fabrication materials?
- 5. Are you able to read material lists, specifications, drawings, and bills of material?
- 6. Do you have experience issuing purchase orders, obtaining competitive quotations, negotiating with suppliers, and expediting orders?
- 7. Do you have experience coordinating freight, jobsite deliveries, and industrial equipment rentals?
- 8. Are you able to work full-time, on-site, at our Tomball, Texas office?
- 9. Are you authorized to work in the United States?
- 10. What is your desired annual salary?
Work Location: In person
