Regional Purchasing Director - South

Description

Director of South Region Procurement

Reporting to the VP of Procurement, the South Regional Director - Procurement manages a significant purchasing region with an annualized spending of $150M. The role oversees purchasing operations, demand planning, buying, cost savings, and working capital improvements in the South Region. The director strategically guides teams and branches, ensuring common purchasing and growth strategies align with the overall success of the business.

Working Conditions: This position is a full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM* position. Excellent attendance, punctuality, and a flexible schedule, including weekends, is required. Must be willing to travel (by car or air) to other branches and locations and dedicate after hours for modules, seminars, customer/company events, supplier visits, and training sessions as needed.

• Hours may vary.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conducts a deep dive into the regional spend, unearthing insights from historical purchasing trends, supplier performance, terms, rebates, and other impactful programs.
• Executes a detailed analysis of inventory transactions, proactively steering planning & buying strategies to optimize inventory and amplify order fulfillment. Champions rebate attainment actions.
• Develops a strategy aligning planner/buyer activities to product categories, working in tandem with the North Region Strategy. Sparks consolidation of planning and buyer activities for maximum impact.
• Ensures swift and accurate daily execution of purchase orders to meet system and customer demand.
• Champions the supplier returns processes, re-sourcing as necessary.
• Guides the transition from manual planning to the cutting-edge GAINS demand planning system.
• Reviews purchase order claims and contracts for compliance, maintaining a keen eye on company needs. Ensures adherence to spend limits, purchasing card delegation, and contract signatory requirements.
• Maximizes 'buy best' opportunities, including free freight, discounts, terms, off-sheet pricing, and additional local rebates. Develops processes to ensure stakeholder use of preferred suppliers, leveraging the company's scale for greater value.
• Ensures the highest level of team responsiveness, swiftly addressing vendor issues for optimal service delivery.
• Drives achievements of corporate goals in cost savings, working capital, terms improvement, inventory turns, order fill rate, dead stock/slow moving, and service level targets.
• Cultivates robust relationships with key stakeholders, including branch managers and the inside sales team. Ensures a clear understanding of team performance with corrective actions for any weak points.
• Cultivates local supplier relationships, constantly leveraging Colony's position.
• Completes team assessments and developmental paths, implementing metrics to measure performance (stock outs, purchase order status and processing, cost savings, etc.).
• Conducts timely performance evaluations, monitoring and initiating actions to enhance results with goal setting.
• Coaches, mentors, and develops existing employees, proactively resolving performance problems and discrepancies.
• Collaborates with Category Managers and the Marketing Team to ensure our product offering reflects the latest models from core manufacturers.
• Partners with key stakeholders to develop and implement region-specific strategies for growth and EBITA improvement. This includes supplier consolidation, spend leverage, enhanced program value, and resourcing activities-all meticulously aligned with Category Managers.
• Maximizes supplier promotional opportunities, implementing sales agreements in coordination with Category Managers.
• Supports Category Manager in implementing purchasing and sourcing strategies, ensuring adherence to supplier requirements and policies.
• Assists in special projects as required.
• Performs personnel functions such as selection, training, and evaluation, including conducting interviews, making hiring decisions, participating in onboarding activities, coaching, and development.
• Collaborates with Human Resources on determining initial pay for new employees and salary/position changes to existing employees.
• Supports acquisition integration as needed.
• Assists in special projects as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• BS Level Degree in related discipline/equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of purchasing experience, with 5 years managing a purchasing team of more than three employees.
• Skills | Technology - strong proficiency in the following areas:
• Analytic tools (Power BI or similar)
• ERP Solutions (Netsuite and Profit 21)
• Outlook
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel (advanced skills including pivot tables), PowerPoint (advanced skills), etc.)
• Abilities:
• Works independently, prioritizes work, and performs multiple tasks. Possesses effective project management skills to keep strategy and project execution on track.
• Analytical ability beyond basic math skills. A data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze spend and inventory data to help with strategy development.
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills, with the ability to support and mentor staff of 5 or more employees.
• Effective collaborator who partners with internal and external key stakeholders to develop, sell, and influence strategic direction.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and drive strategies in planning and buying functions.
• Results-oriented and data-driven. Demonstrates the use of metrics to monitor and drive towards goals.
• Excellent time management, negotiation, critical thinking, decision making, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills, including speaking in public, presenting to varying levels of the organization, including the executive staff.
• Experience in handling challenging customer service situations and managing conflict.
• Outstanding customer services skills and mindset when dealing with internal and external customers.
• Able to influence managers on product choices, lead, and motivate other employees.
• Builds successful working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

We Can Offer You:

We value performance that exhibits a high sense of urgency, coupled with attention to detail and a strong customer service orientation. We also care about the welfare of our employees, which is why our salary and benefits are competitive! Colony's benefits include:

• Competitive salary plus bonus/commission plans
• Medical, Dental, Vision, STD/LTD, Life Insurance, FSA/HSA, 401k with a company match, tuition reimbursement, and more!
• Competitive PTO and paid holidays
• A monthly car allowance
• Company-provided PPE as required
• Generous discounts on the best products from leading industry vendors

Life at Colony

With over 60 locations and 1,200 employees, Colony Hardware is the leading distributor of Tools, Equipment, Fasteners, Supplies, and Safety Products to commercial construction and industrial accounts throughout our markets.

Our customers can count on us for same or next-day delivery of over 30,000 products from the top names in the industry right to their job site with no minimum order requirement. At the heart of what we do is building long-term, meaningful relationships. Whether it is our customers, suppliers, or our associates, everyone is a part of the Colony family!

At Colony, our people are our most valuable asset. Success as a Colony Associate means being reliable, conscientious, and passionate. With our direction centered on teamwork, every employee at Colony will not only find their work to be meaningful but will have the opportunity to grow alongside Colony, both professionally and personally.

Colony's Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Colony Hardware Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, religion, marital status, victim of domestic violence, familial status, genetic predisposition or information, disability, Family and Medical Leave, military or veteran status, citizenship, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances. Our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.