Associate Purchaser

Kent Scientific Corporation is a leading provider of innovative research solutions for the life sciences. For over 35 years, we have been dedicated to advancing scientific discovery by supplying researchers worldwide with high-quality, reliable, and precise instrumentation and equipment for in vivo animal research. Our commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and technological innovation has made us a trusted partner in academic, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology research.

A little bit about the role…

Kent Scientific is looking for an Associate Purchaser to own day-to-day procurement and inventory operations at our Connecticut facility. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role for someone who thrives in a small manufacturing environment - someone who is as comfortable physically checking parts on a shelf as they are placing purchase orders.

You will be a key contributor to our purchasing and planning function: supporting vendor relationships, monitoring inventory levels, assisting with production scheduling, and helping build the systems and workflows that keep our small and scrappy assembly lines running. This role touches purchasing, planning, and cross-department collaboration, with room to grow as our team and operations evolve. The Associate Purchaser will be responsible for:

• Generating Requests for Quotations (RFQs) and Purchase Orders; evaluating supplier quotes to secure cost-effective, high-quality materials
• Identifying alternative vendors based on material needs and part specifications, including reading specs to source equivalent or substitute components when primary suppliers have delays
• Building and maintaining strong vendor relationships to support on-time delivery, quality compliance, and cost awareness
• Monitoring supplier performance and flagging opportunities for cost savings and process improvements
• Obtaining credits or replacements from vendors for incoming material discrepancies

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Supporting Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and production scheduling to help ensure timely procurement and delivery of materials for assembly, production, and order shipments
• Monitoring the assembly order list and tracking low-stock items, consumption rates, and reorder quantities in Business Central to inform purchase decisions
• Coordinating with the Assembly Manager to help prioritize and expedite assemblies for daily production
• Helping to identify and flag material shortages proactively, before they impact the production floor

Inventory Control & Optimization

• Supporting overall inventory management to balance availability and cost while minimizing excess stock
• Maintaining and updating Bills of Materials (BOMs) to reflect accurate production requirements and inventory pulls
• Performing and supporting cycle counting to ensure inventory accuracy and maintain optimal stock levels
• Helping to design and implement a bin/location system to overhaul inventory organization across the facility
• Supporting annual physical inventory counts, with the opportunity to grow into a lead role over time

Process Improvement & Cross-Department Collaboration

• Working closely with Quality Assurance and Technical Resources to ensure incoming materials meet production standards
• Utilizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to support planning and procurement processes
• Identifying inefficiencies in purchasing and planning workflows and contributing to continuous improvement efforts
• Providing ETAs on sales orders to the Sales and Customer Service teams to support customer satisfaction
• Partnering with Accounting to ensure proper inventory flow and accounting treatment across locations, including coordination with our contract manufacturer

Team Support & Communication

• Collaborating with production, assembly, sales, and customer service teams to align supply chain activity with business needs
• Maintaining clear, proactive communication across teams; surfacing issues early and keeping stakeholders informed on procurement status
• Contributing to the development of purchasing best practices and planning documentation as our processes mature

We are excited about you because you have…

• 1-2+ years of…