American Polymer Company
Purchasing Manager
San Antonio, Texas•Full-time
About the Job
About American Polymer Company:
In 2019, we leveraged our extensive industry experience in both polymers and traditional concrete manufacturing to launch American Polymer Company (APC), with a mission to provide our customers the best grade-level enclosure products on the market. Our team’s cross-disciplinary background fosters an innovative approach to both design and manufacturing, resulting in some of the most high-quality, functional, and reliable products in our industry.
American Polymer Company is dedicated to excellence and continually optimizing our products and processes. We believe that we are only as good as our last production shift, and we never stop trying to improve the next one. We serve key infrastructure sectors including water utility, irrigation, telecommunications, electrical, gas, and industrial applications across multiple manufacturing methodologies, including precast, thermoplastic, and thermoset molding.
Position Overview:
The Purchasing Manager will lead and optimize supply chain, procurement, and vendor management operations across American Polymer Company’s manufacturing facilities. Reporting to Operations Leadership, this strategic and hands-on role is responsible for procuring raw materials (resins, polymers, concrete components, steel reinforcement, hardware), machinery components, and operational services required to maintain seamless multi-site production.
The ideal candidate brings strong supplier negotiation skills, deep understanding of industrial raw materials, and the ability to build resilient procurement strategies that align with APC's rapid growth and commitment to unmatched product quality and delivery performance.
Key Responsibilities & Duties:
Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Management:
- Develop and execute strategic purchasing plans for all direct and indirect materials, including polymer resins, additives, precast raw materials, tooling, and consumables.
- Evaluate market trends, raw material price fluctuations (e.g., resin markets, steel, aggregates), and supply chain risks to secure competitive pricing and guarantee supply continuity.
- Lead contract negotiations, vendor agreements, and pricing structures with key domestic and global suppliers.
Supplier Quality & Relationship Management:
- Partner with Quality and Operations teams to establish supplier performance evaluations, scorecards, and qualification protocols.
- Monitor supplier delivery reliability, material quality, and lead times; lead corrective action discussions when supplier performance falls below company standards.
- Diversify the supplier base to eliminate single-source vulnerabilities and build long-term strategic supplier partnerships.
Inventory Control & Planning Integration:
- Collaborate closely with Plant Managers, Production Schedulers, and Finance to align procurement schedules with production requirements and demand forecasts.
- Optimize inventory levels to maximize operational efficiency while minimizing carrying costs, scrap, and stockouts.
- Establish safety stock thresholds and reorder points for critical manufacturing inputs.
Cost Optimization & Continuous Improvement:
- Identify and execute cost-saving initiatives (VMI programs, bulk purchasing, freight consolidation) without compromising product quality or production timelines.
- Standardized procurement processes, purchase order (PO) workflows, and ERP software integration across all manufacturing sites.
- Track and report key procurement metrics (e.g., Purchase Price Variance [PPV], lead time compliance, inventory turn rates, vendor yield).
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
- Experience: 5+ years of progressive procurement or purchasing experience within a manufacturing environment. Experience in polymer processing, plastics molding, precast concrete, or heavy industrial manufacturing is highly preferred.
- Supplier Negotiation: Proven track record of contract negotiation, strategic sourcing, and managing vendor relationships for direct manufacturing materials.
- Supply Chain Systems: Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Epicor, or similar) and inventory management tools.
- Analytical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analytics to perform cost analysis, forecasting, and inventory optimization.
- Certifications (Bonus): Professional certifications such as CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CSCP, or APICS/CPIM are a strong plus.
- Soft Skills: Outstanding communication, leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities tailored to a fast-paced manufacturing environment.