Purchasing and Administrative Operations Manager

Purchasing is the core of this position. The Purchasing & Office Operations Manager owns the day-to-day procurement process for finished goods sourced from overseas factories, raw materials used in our screen-printing operation, equipment, services, and office supplies. This person is responsible for purchasing the right products in the right quantities, at the right time and cost, while maintaining accurate inventory and purchase-order data.

The position also keeps essential office and people processes running smoothly by coordinating administrative operations and routine HR activities such as recruiting support, onboarding and offboarding, employee records, timekeeping and benefits administration, policy documentation, and employee support.

This is a hands-on role for someone who is analytical, highly organized, comfortable navigating ambiguity, and able to move between detailed purchasing work and day-to-day business needs.

• Finished goods and production materials are available when needed, with avoidable stockouts and excess inventory minimized.
• Purchase orders, costs, lead times, expected receipts, and inventory records are complete, current, and reliable.
• Supplier, freight, and delivery issues are identified early, communicated clearly, and resolved with urgency.
• Routine office and HR processes are completed accurately, consistently, confidentially, and on time.

• Create, issue, maintain, and close purchase orders for overseas finished goods, screen-printing raw materials, industrial equipment, services, and general business supplies.
• Review sales history, forecasts, open orders, inventory on hand and on order, supplier lead times, minimum order quantities, seasonality, safety stock, and upcoming promotions to determine what to purchase and when.
• Maintain accurate item and vendor data in the company’s ERP and inventory systems, including costs, lead times, reorder points, minimum order quantities, order confirmations, and expected receipt dates.
• Use ABC analysis and other inventory-planning methods to prioritize purchasing attention, cycle counts, and inventory investment based on value, sales velocity, and operational importance.
• Request and compare quotes; evaluate suppliers based on total cost, quality, reliability, capacity, service, payment terms, and delivery performance; and negotiate pricing, minimums, lead times, freight terms, and other commercial terms.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships, monitor supplier performance, document recurring issues, and lead corrective follow-up when quality, quantity, cost, or delivery expectations are not met.
• Calculate and maintain accurate landed costs, including product cost, freight, duties, tariffs, customs and brokerage charges, and other import-related expenses.
• Maintain working knowledge of international shipping, tariff, and import requirements that affect product availability and landed cost.
• Coordinate with overseas factories, freight forwarders, customs brokers, carriers, and internal teams to select practical shipping methods, track shipments, and resolve delays or documentation issues.
• Review supplier confirmations, commercial invoices, packing lists, shipping documents, and delivery schedules for accuracy before goods arrive.
• Partner with warehouse and receiving staff to confirm incoming quantities and condition, resolve purchase-order or receiving discrepancies, and pursue supplier or freight claims when appropriate.
• Conduct or coordinate cycle counts, research inventory variances, reconcile physical and system quantities, and support improvements to inventory accuracy.
• Identify risks involving stockouts, excess or obsolete inventory, long lead times, supplier concentration, or changing demand and present timely recommendations to leadership.
• Coordinate with accounting to support three-way matching among purchase orders, receipts, and supplier invoices and to resolve pricing, quantity, freight, or payment discrepancies.
• Track and report meaningful purchasing and inventory measures, such as supplier on-time delivery, lead-time accuracy, stock availability, purchase-price variance, inventory turns, and excess inventory.
• Support new-product development and launches by coordinating samples, quotes, initial orders, production schedules, and inbound delivery timing.
• Develop and improve purchasing procedures, approval workflows, documentation standards, and internal controls that…