Purchasing Assistant

Purchasing Assistant Location / Work Mode:
On-Site – Cleveland, OH (East 78th St. Plant Facility)
Role Type:
Full-time, Permanent Compensation: $55,000 – $67,000/year base

The Opportunity & Impact

A leading Cleveland-based industrial manufacturing manufacturer is seeking a detail-driven, reliable Purchasing Assistant to own plant-level procurement support and cross-divisional purchasing workflows. Working directly alongside a MRO Purchasing Manager, you will serve as the operational backbone for four localized plant facilities, taking full ownership of purchase order processing, cost tracking, and inventory maintenance. This role is ideal for an independent self-starter who thrives in an authentic, fast-paced plant environment, takes pride in high-accuracy execution, and seeks long-term job stability, everyday autonomy, and a consistent early-shift work-life balance (6:00/7:00 AM – 2:30/3:30 PM).

• Convert internal requisitions into purchase orders and accurately transmit POs to vendors across multiple plant entities on schedule.
• Expedite open purchase orders proactively to meet critical plant production schedules and business deadlines.
• Build and distribute weekly PO Funds Committed and PO Receipts reports across all divisions using intermediate Microsoft Excel functions.
• Research, analyze, and resolve pricing discrepancies on PO confirmations, receiving logs, and vendor invoices.
• Manage and monitor plant-wide blanket purchase orders to ensure timely renewals, rate verification, and accurate record-keeping.
• Track Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) cost-reduction initiatives using Excel formulas and pivot tables to capture analytical savings data.
• Maintain proper stocking levels for office, breakroom, and facility supplies to support uninterrupted corporate and plant operations.
• Enter vendor and purchasing data into custom internal enterprise software with strict audit-ready precision and detail.

• Minimum of 2+ years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment (or strong plant-floor operational exposure paired with core procurement skills).
• Mid-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel (demonstrated capability using formulas, data sorting, and pivot tables required).
• Proven ability to manage high-volume, competing deadlines independently in a fast-paced, industrial plant environment.
• High degree of data entry accuracy and familiarity working with enterprise software (Infor or legacy database experience preferred).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively collaborate with direct plant workers, vendors, and accounting teams.
• Solid problem-solving aptitude focused on resolving vendor pricing gaps, invoice discrepancies, and delivery bottlenecks.
• High School Diploma or GED required (Associate degree or relevant coursework preferred).
• Commitment to a 100% on-site, early-shift schedule (arriving between 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM, Monday through Friday).

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