Manage the procurement process for the company's products, including building strong relationships with vendors and suppliers to provide high levels of service and support, and ensuring products are purchased at the best possible price, quality, and delivery terms. Work closely with internal teams and vendors to ensure that contracts are fulfilled on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of the clients. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Budget Management: Develops budgets and seeks cost-saving opportunities wherever possible. Tracking and reporting on purchasing expenditures, analyzing spending patterns, and identifying areas for cost optimization. Provides all invoicing to accounts payable and reconciles payments as necessary. Vendor Management: Identifies, evaluates, and selects suppliers or vendors based on criteria such as price, quality, availability, and reliability. Builds and maintains relationships with suppliers to negotiate favorable terms and resolve any issues that arise. Price Negotiation: Negotiates prices, discounts, and terms with suppliers to achieve cost savings while maintaining quality standards. Analyzes market trends, conducts supplier assessments, and conducts price comparisons to make informed decisions. Supplier Performance Evaluation: Assesses supplier performance based on criteria such as quality, delivery, and responsiveness. Conducts regular supplier evaluations and provides feedback to leadership to look at possible improve performance or make necessary changes. Risk Management and Continuous Improvement: Identifies and mitigates potential risks associated with the procurement process, such as supply chain disruptions, quality issues, or regulatory compliance. Develops contingency plans and alternative sourcing strategies. Identifies opportunities to streamline purchasing processes, improve efficiency, and enhance overall procurement performance.

Purchased all domestic goods for the manufacture of body and home care products.Purchased finished goods from international suppliers and tracks shipment thereof, achieved 97% on time delivery rate.Collaborated with internal design teams to conceptualize, design, and quote new product builds. Interfaced daily with production manager and operations director on matters of production scheduling and purchasing needs.Sourced local and international corrugate paper suppliers for custom spec shipping and packaging materials.Submitted RFQ’s with local design firms and paper houses for the printing of custom labels and artwork.Arranged for international (China) PO's and all related customs documents such as Proforma Invoices, BOL's, Commercial Invoices and Container Packing Lists.Confirmed Harmonized Tariff Codes/Schedules (HTS) to both supplier and freight forwarders to comply with customs mandates.

Formulated category business plan and implement tactics for product assortment and sourcing, pricing, promotions, and logistics to maximize sales and profitability. Maintained and develop optimal item selection and manage SKU count to optimize sales per SKU.Entered and reviewed contract pricing for accuracy and margin enhancement as well as updated pricing files and contracts.Developed strong vendor relationships to optimize cost of goods, marketing support, and rebate revenue. Consistently met or exceeded targets in metrics areas such as aged inventory, aged payables, and project completion resulting in maximized bonus potential. Achieved 50% reduction in aged payables within the first 30 days and recovered $90k in 90+ day old past due rebate payables.

Acted as primary buyer for domestic foams, insoles and laces from local distributor.Drafted, analyzed and implemented monthly raw materials forecast. Sourced materials according to engineering specifications and reviewed material upon receipt in conjunction with Quality Control. Managed factory Kanbans and adjusted as necessary. Placed monthly (blanket), weekly and daily orders according to forecast. Placed MRO PO’s and reconciled invoices in conjunction with the accounting dept. Collaborated with marketing and engineering to source and buy materials for special projects and new styles.Drafted processes and procedures according to ISO: 9001 protocols. Participated in Kaizen and Lean initiatives in the factory. Sought to enhance company wide employee engagement as a part of the Building Relationships Initiative.

Coordinated and completed projects as assigned under the following branches of Mud Bay's Merchandising Department:Pricing - Completed price checks, prepared retail price reviews for stores and coordinated pricing surveys submitted by store staff. Food Category - Completed alternatives formula suggestions and entered formula data.Supplies Category - Completed margin assessments against cost changes, ran weekly and monthly reports, completed vendor meeting prep for supervisory staff, and managed Merch dept projects for timeliness and completion. Aided in company wide event planning as it pertained to the Merch department. Assisted in training material support as it related to category and vendor/MFG training.Maintained sample stock; entered into database, shelved appropriately and scheduled follow up with vendors.Decreased warehouse out of stocks by 76% to an all time low. Decreased holiday stock outages by 78% over Q1 of 2013. Trained junior purchasing staff.Responsible for arranging timely delivery of purchased goods to Mud Bay’s distribution center and all retail locations.As a member of the Inventory OPS Team, worked closely with stores ensuring that they had accurate stock at all times. Tracked and organized documents related to purchasing including purchase orders, lead times, costing updates and invoicing to ensure accurate billing.Updated wholesale costs to reflect purchasing agreements.