Construction Purchasing Agent

Company Overview

The Amherst Group's companies are comprised of leading real estate investment and advisory firms with a mission to transform the way real estate is owned, financed and managed. They leverage proprietary data, analytics, technology, and decades of experience to seek solutions for a fragmented, slow-to-evolve real estate ecosystem and to materially improve the experience for residents, buyers, sellers, communities, and investors.

They have over 1000 employees and $14.1 billion in assets under management, and have acquired, renovated, and leased more than 46,000 homes across 32 markets in the U.S.

Amherst Studio Build will manufacture high-quality, affordable, and innovative single-family residential homes by empowering a devoted network of highly motivated and skilled individuals with a fantastic place to work, opportunity for learning and growth, and the ability to make a difference in the community.

Up to 20% travel to job sites or markets within the region—typically day trips, with occasional overnight stays (up to once weekly). Potentially 1–3 trips annually to other markets.

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Construction Purchasing Agent to join our team. In this role, you will support residential construction projects from conception through completion, ensuring projects are thoroughly planned, estimated accurately, and executed successfully. You will define and negotiate prices for field execution of construction projects and manage contract administration from issuance to closeout, including payment coordination and tracking.

• Conduct competitive pricing analyses to understand the market and industry conditions.
• Use data and market trends to forecast pricing volatility and sourcing risks.
• Negotiate takeoff pricing with existing vendors and conduct pre-scheduled reviews on an ongoing basis.
• Promptly obtain bids and estimates from vendors, review them for accuracy and alignment to pricing expectations, and provide bids to the Construction Team.
• Support project teams in defining scopes of work, cost estimates, and timelines.
• Create, execute, and manage contracts for construction projects, in coordination with the Construction Manager.
• Ensure all contracts align with approved bids, pricing, and scopes.
• Close out contracts and ensure all documentation, lien waivers, and compliance requirements are complete.
• Coordinate payments and resolve invoice or PO discrepancies with Accounting and Construction.
• Track procurement cost to budget and report variances to project management.
• Build and foster relationships with vendors.
• Provide value engineering recommendations and partner with Vendor Sourcing Role to select appropriate vendors.
• Maintain organized file structures and audit-ready records of all contracts and supporting documentation.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Construction, Finance, and Vendor Management to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and reduce turnaround time.
• Flexibility to pivot to business needs weekly and multi-task in a fast-paced work environment.
• Support vendor onboarding needs as required, assisting with sourcing, onboarding and managing qualified vendors and subcontractors across all trade categories.
• Procure materials for job completions, as needed.
• Support risk mitigation efforts related to procurement (e.g., supply chain disruption, regulatory compliance).

• 1–3 years in procurement, purchasing, or contract administration, preferably in construction or homebuilding.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or Construction Management preferred; equivalent experience accepted.
• Basic knowledge of construction materials, methods, and cost analysis; field experience or familiarity with residential construction sites.
• Working knowledge of contract law and procurement best practices.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage high contract volume efficiently.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite required; proficiency in JD Edwards (JDE), Build Pro, Yardi, Vendor Café, Moducore, and Bluebeam Revu preferred.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, and communication skills…