Purchasing Agent​/Buyer

Purchasing Agent / Buyer

The Purchasing Agent / Buyer is the commercial backbone of Shepherd's inventory engine. Every product that moves through our branches, every fill rate we achieve or miss, every vendor relationship that holds or frays — it traces back to how well this role executes.

This is not a transactional purchasing job. This is the role responsible for managing supplier relationships, optimizing inventory investment, and keeping six branches stocked with the right products at the right cost. You own the line, not just the order. You anticipate gaps before they become customer problems, negotiate with purpose, and make decisions grounded in data — Turns, GMROI, and lead times are your language.

If you know electrical distribution, understand how buying decisions ripple through a company, and want to work where your work is felt by real customers on real jobsites — this role was built for you.

Key Outcomes

Organized by what matters, not just what you do.

Procurement & Inventory Management

• Own procurement and inventory management across assigned product lines for all branch locations
• Maintain appropriate stock levels that balance service levels against working capital — measured by Turns, GMROI, service levels and fill rates
• Manage the full distribution lifecycle for stock and nonstock products — from new products introductions through discontinuation
• Monitor vendor lead times, identify gaps before they become outages, and take corrective action proactively
• Find solutions to inventory issues with cost competitive alternatives
• Coordinate inbound freight flow with warehouse operations to ensure receiving accuracy and minimal disruption

Vendor Relationships & Negotiation

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with manufacturer representatives and vendor contacts
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and program structures that improve Shepherd's competitive position
• Track, manage, and capture line-specific rebate and program dollars — none should be left on the table
• Evaluate new product offerings with discipline: not everything belongs in stock, and you gather the information to make the final decision
• Hold vendors accountable to commitments — on pricing, delivery, returns and program terms

Data & System Integrity

• Maintain accurate product file data in Eclipse, SKU-level detail, and warehouse quantity management
• Use Turns, GMROI, and other performance metrics to guide restocking decisions and line reviews
• Identify and correct pricing or cost discrepancies before they affect branch operations or customer invoicing
• Support data integrity across the purchasing system — clean data is not someone else's problem

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with sales teams to respond to product inquiries, source specials, and support customer needs in real time
• Collaborate with warehouse leadership on inbound flow, receiving accuracy, and inventory discrepancy resolution
• Communicate proactively with branch management and executive leadership when supply or pricing issues affect service levels
• Participate in vendor line reviews and program evaluations with cross-functional input

What Success Looks Like

After 90 days, you and your supervisor should both be able to point to these markers:

• Assigned product lines are stocked appropriately across all branches with no preventable outages
• Turns and GMROI metrics are understood, tracked, and trending in the right direction
• Vendor relationships are active and productive — not reactive
• Rebate programs and line-specific incentives are captured, not left on the table
• Product file data in Eclipse is clean, current, and reliable
• Sales and branch teams trust your lines and come to you first when something is wrong

Who Thrives Here

This role is a strong fit if:

• You own your lines — stock performance, cost accuracy, and vendor relationships are yours, not someone else's problem
• You make decisions from data, not instinct alone — and you know which metrics matter in distribution
• You communicate early — with vendors, with sales, with management — and you don't let problems age
• You negotiate with discipline and know what terms are important to Shepherd
• You treat inventory discrepancies as signals…