Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Reports To - Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Also Works With - Fabrication Shop Manager, Project Managers, Field Foremen, Director of Finance

Entities Supported - Ranger Steel | Kentucky Powder Coating

Location - Onsite in Covington, KY (2-3 days/wk);
Onsite in Maysville, KY (1-2 days/wk);
Remote (1 day/wk)

Employment Type - Full-Time | Exempt

The Strategic Sourcing Specialist is Ranger’s forward-thinking procurement expert — responsible for ensuring that the right materials, equipment, and subcontractor resources are identified, procured, and staged ahead of need for both shop and field operations. This is not a transactional purchasing role. It is a proactive, operationally connected position that requires deep collaboration with field supervision, project managers, and shop leadership to anticipate demand and execute sourcing strategies that protect project schedules and margins.

The right candidate understands construction and fabrication workflows well enough to know what’s coming before it’s requested — and has the vendor relationships, market knowledge, and organizational discipline to have it ready.

Supply chain delays, material shortages, and reactive purchasing are among the most common reasons construction and fabrication projects slip. This role exists to get ahead of those problems. A capable Strategic Sourcing Specialist ensures that procurement is a competitive advantage for Ranger, not a bottleneck — and that project teams never lose productivity waiting on materials or equipment that should have been ordered weeks ago.

Proactive Procurement & Planning

• Review project schedules, fabrication plans, and field manpower forecasts to anticipate material and equipment needs ahead of demand.
• Develop and maintain a procurement timeline for each active project that integrates with the master schedule.
• Identify long-lead items early and initiate procurement processes to prevent schedule-driven shortages.
• Maintain a current awareness of material market conditions, pricing trends, and lead time fluctuations.
• Build and maintain a qualified vendor network for structural steel, consumables, coatings, equipment, and specialty materials.
• Negotiate pricing, delivery terms, and vendor agreements that reflect the volume and relationship strength of Ranger’s purchasing activity.
• Evaluate vendor performance on quality, delivery reliability, and responsiveness; manage vendor relationships proactively.
• Identify and qualify new suppliers to support capacity needs, backup supply chains, and cost competitiveness.

Field & Shop Collaboration

• Work closely with field foremen, project managers, and the fabrication shop manager to understand specific material specifications and timing requirements.
• Serve as a communication bridge between operations and suppliers to resolve delivery issues, substitutions, or specification questions quickly.
• Coordinate equipment rentals, fleet logistics, and specialty tool sourcing in alignment with field project schedules.
• Participate in project kick-off and planning meetings to provide early visibility into procurement risks or opportunities.
• Track purchase orders, delivery receipts, and invoices to ensure alignment with project budgets.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings through volume purchasing, blanket orders, rebates, or supplier consolidation.
• Partner with the Director of Finance to ensure procurement data supports accurate job costing and financial reporting.
• Flag material cost variances or budget overruns to project managers and leadership promptly.

Inventory & Logistics

• Manage on-site and shop material inventory to minimize waste, overstocking, and emergency purchases.
• Coordinate delivery logistics to ensure materials arrive at the right location, in the right sequence, on time.
• Maintain organized procurement records including quotes, POs, delivery confirmations, and supplier contacts.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Construction Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Professional purchasing certifications (CPSM, CPP, or equivalent) a plus.

Experience

• 5+…