Purchasing Agent

Founded in 1983, Kele Inc. is a leading distribution and solutions partner with national reach and a global presence. Built around our customers and powered by our people, Kele provides millions of in-stock parts from more than 300 brands to drive automation and efficiency in nearly every type of facility, from office towers and factories to data centers and hospitals.

Our goal is to empower progress for maintenance managers, engineers, contractors, and all those building the future. We do this by delivering parts rapidly, providing custom assemblies upstream, and offering unmatched support to ensure projects run smoothly and downtime is minimized.

With 12 locations nationwide and headquarters in Tennessee, Kele combines deep technical expertise, rapid logistics, and a solutions‑first mindset to help customers simplify supply chains, meet tight schedules, and deliver high‑quality outcomes.

Kele fosters a culture rooted in collaboration, innovation, and customer obsession, empowering associates at every level to contribute, grow, and make a meaningful impact.

The Purchasing Agent is responsible for executing procurement activity in support of Kele’s purchasing operations, ensuring accurate and timely purchase order management across assigned suppliers and product categories. The position coordinates with internal teams and suppliers to sustain inventory availability, resolve supply issues, and support service level performance. The Purchasing Agent operates within established purchasing parameters and plays a key role in cross‑functional communication across the supply chain.

• Generate, release, and manage purchase orders in response to system‑generated demand signals and internal procurement requests, ensuring all order details are accurate and consistent with established purchasing parameters.
• Monitor open purchase order status, manage expected receipt dates against required delivery dates, and escape delivery risks to the Purchasing Supervisor as needed.
• Coordinate with internal teams to resolve order discrepancies, including pricing variances, quantity inconsistencies, and shipment issues, working with suppliers to reach timely resolution.
• Manage post‑order financial follow‑up, including pre‑payment coordination with accounting, invoice follow‑up on shipped but unbilled orders, and resolution of invoice discrepancies escalated by accounting.

• Review purchasing signals and open stockout reports daily, taking timely procurement action and initiating supplier outreach to minimize and resolve critical shortages.
• Maintain accurate records of stockout status, supplier delivery commitments, and expected resolution dates, escalating high‑priority situations to the Purchasing Supervisor with full supply context.
• Identify recurring stockout trends and present root cause findings and recommend corrective actions to the Purchasing Supervisor.

• Engage suppliers to obtain delivery updates, pricing confirmations, and order status information, ensuring purchase order records remain accurate and current.
• Proactively communicate supplier issues including lead time changes, product obsolescence, and pricing variances to internal stakeholders.
• Respond to internal inquiries regarding delivery status, order status, pricing, and cancellation requests in a timely and complete manner.

• Collaborate with Sales, Inventory, and Operations teams to evaluate demand signals, support purchasing decisions, and ensure procurement activity aligns with customer commitments.
• Communicate delivery updates, supply constraints, and order status changes to internal stakeholders to support informed decision‑making.
• Participate in team meetings and contribute to company initiatives and special projects as assigned.

• Associate’s degree or higher in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field; equivalent work experience will be considered.

• Working knowledge of purchase order management,…