Purchasing Coordinator

The Purchasing Coordinator supports end-to-end purchasing activities within a manufacturing environment, ensuring accurate purchase orders, timely deliveries, and precise invoice reconciliation. This role works closely with suppliers and cross-functional teams to resolve discrepancies, maintain accurate ERP data, and support inventory accuracy, cost reduction, and process improvement initiatives.

The Purchasing Coordinator supports end-to-end purchasing activities within a manufacturing environment, ensuring accurate purchase orders, timely deliveries, and precise invoice reconciliation. This role works closely with suppliers and cross-functional teams to resolve discrepancies, maintain accurate ERP data, and support inventory accuracy, cost reduction, and process improvement initiatives.

• Identify discrepancies between invoices and purchase orders and work with accounts payable and accounts receivable teams to research and resolve issues.
• Review and reconcile variances between purchase orders and invoices to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Conduct nonconformance reports (NCRs) to identify, document, and address discrepancies related to products or materials.
• Oversee product or material returns, including coordinating with suppliers and internal teams, and follow through until each return is fully resolved.
• Monitor and work through open purchase orders, addressing past-due orders and ensuring appropriate follow-up with suppliers.
• Process and manage purchase orders for assigned materials and suppliers from creation through delivery.
• Confirm supplier receipt of purchase orders and follow up on missing or delayed acknowledgments.
• Communicate proactively with suppliers regarding pricing, product availability, order changes, delivery timing, and past-due materials.
• Create purchase orders in the company ERP system and ensure all related data is accurate and up to date.
• Maintain accurate ERP data, including current costs, open and pending purchase orders, delivery dates, and supplier information.
• Review inventory levels, demand trends, lead times, and past purchasing activity to support appropriate stock levels and product availability.
• Assist with indirect purchasing for office, factory, and janitorial supplies as needed.
• Support inventory accuracy efforts by coordinating with operations and inventory teams to align purchasing with actual demand.
• Provide purchasing support to multiple team members and assist wherever workload demands are highest.
• Collaborate with purchasing, accounting, operations, inventory, and other departments to resolve purchasing, invoicing, and inventory issues.
• Support cost-reduction initiatives by identifying opportunities to improve pricing, terms, or processes.
• Contribute to process-improvement initiatives, including LEAN or other continuous improvement activities where applicable.
• Participate in the monthly Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) process and provide information related to customer and supplier trends as appropriate.

• At least 3 years of purchasing experience in the manufacturing sector, including hands-on work with purchase orders.
• Experience with inventory management, including monitoring stock levels and supporting inventory accuracy.
• Experience utilizing ERP software (such as SAP, JD Edwards, QAD, or similar systems) for purchasing and data maintenance.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Excel for tracking, reporting, and analyzing purchasing and inventory data.
• Foundational knowledge of purchasing, supply chain, and procurement processes.
• Ability to perform administrative support tasks related to purchasing, documentation, and coordination.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy when reconciling purchase orders, invoices, and ERP data.
• Effective communication skills for collaborating with suppliers and cross-functional teams, including accounting and operations.

• Experience working with purchase orders throughout their lifecycle, from creation to closure.
• Experience researching invoice or purchasing discrepancies and resolving them with accounting or AP/AR teams.
• Experience coordinating with accounts payable and accounts receivable or broader accounting teams.
• Experience managing returns or nonconforming materials, including coordination with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Exposure to NCRs or nonconformance processes in a manufacturing or supply chain environment.
• LEAN or…