Supply Chain & Procurement Manager

Location: Columbus, OH
Job Type: Direct Hire
Starting Salary: From $100,000 annually (higher compensation available based on experience)

We are seeking an experienced Supply Chain & Procurement Manager to oversee purchasing, supplier management, and material planning activities within a manufacturing environment. This position plays a key role in ensuring the timely availability of materials, fabricated components, and purchased parts needed to support production schedules and customer commitments.

In addition to managing day-to-day procurement operations, this individual will help develop and strengthen the company's external supply chain by identifying, qualifying, and onboarding new suppliers. The ideal candidate will have experience building vendor networks, improving supplier performance, and supporting manufacturing operations through strategic sourcing and supply chain planning.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement & Supply Chain Management
• Lead purchasing activities to ensure uninterrupted material flow for manufacturing operations.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies that support business goals and production requirements.
• Monitor supplier lead times, inventory levels, and material availability.
• Coordinate purchasing activities with production, planning, engineering, and project teams.
• Reduce material shortages, expedite costs, and supply chain disruptions.
• Support inventory management initiatives to balance availability with inventory efficiency.
Vendor Development & Strategic Sourcing
• Establish and expand external supplier networks to support future business growth.
• Source, evaluate, qualify, and onboard new vendors and service providers.
• Develop alternative sourcing strategies to reduce supply risk and improve supply chain resilience.
• Build long-term supplier partnerships focused on quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead supplier evaluations, negotiations, and performance reviews.
Supplier Performance & Cost Management
• Track and improve supplier performance metrics, including quality, delivery, and cost.
• Partner with quality and engineering teams to address supplier-related issues and corrective actions.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and purchasing agreements with key suppliers.
• Analyze spending trends and identify opportunities for cost savings and purchasing efficiencies.
• Monitor market conditions affecting materials such as steel, copper, aluminum, and other manufacturing commodities.
Operational Support
• Collaborate with engineering and operations teams on make-versus-buy decisions.
• Support purchasing approvals, purchase order execution, and procurement process improvements.
• Resolve material shortages that may impact production schedules.
• Maintain accurate purchasing, inventory, and supplier information within ERP/MRP systems.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and supply chain functions.

Qualifications

Required
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 5-10 years of experience in procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain management within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting custom manufacturing, fabrication, engineer-to-order (ETO), or make-to-order operations.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing materials including sheet metal, busbar copper/aluminum, hardware, and electrical components.
• Experience working with ERP and MRP systems.
• Demonstrated experience developing supplier relationships and onboarding new vendors.
• Strong negotiation, problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
Preferred
• Experience supporting sheet metal fabrication, busbar fabrication, electrical equipment manufacturing, switchgear, or industrial manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of inventory optimization and lean manufacturing principles.
• Experience managing supplier performance programs and corrective action processes.
• Exposure to commodity-based purchasing environments involving steel, copper, aluminum, or similar materials.
• Experience supporting engineer-to-order (ETO) manufacturing environments.

Success in This Role

• Improved supplier quality and on-time delivery performance.
• Reduced material shortages and production interruptions.
• Successful development of new vendor partnerships and sourcing channels.
• Increased procurement efficiency and cost savings.
• Accurate inventory management and material planning.
• Strong alignment between procurement activities and production demands.