Purchasing & Supply Chain Manager

The Purchasing & Supply Chain Manager owns the strategic and tactical management of Forza's purchasing, production scheduling, inventory, and supplier relationships. As a member of the leadership team reporting to the COO, this seat ensures the supply chain runs efficiently, cost-effectively, and in step with Forza's growth and quality goals — while personally owning high-value vendor negotiations and developing the Purchasing Assistant and Production Planning & Work Order Specialist beneath it. Strategic Supply Chain Leadership - Develop and execute supply chain strategy aligned with company growth goals, ensuring material availability against production and sales forecasts. - Lead capacity planning, demand forecasting, and supplier sourcing strategy. - Serve as the supply chain liaison to the COO and Leadership Team, providing data-driven insights and recommendations. - Identify supply chain risk — supplier performance, lead time, cost volatility — and implement mitigation strategies. - Manage dual sourcing of all critical components and raw materials. - Safeguard gross profit by aggressively monitoring and managing cost. Purchasing Management - Manage strategic relationships with Platinum and critical vendors, negotiating optimal pricing, terms, and service levels. - Oversee vendor onboarding, qualification, and performance review programs. - Approve high-value purchase orders, ensuring cost control and compliance with quality requirements. - Partner with Sales and Operations to set and review reorder points for products and raw materials. - Identify and implement cost savings through improved sourcing, vendor consolidation, or alternate materials. Work Order & Production Scheduling Oversight - Oversee the creation, scheduling, and management of work orders in the ERP system to meet stocking and production requirements. Inventory & Logistics Management - Monitor and optimize inventory levels across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods. - Hold final responsibility for inventory levels and drive down excess stock. - Direct rolling inventory counts, cycle counts, and inventory adjustments. - Collaborate with Sales to address slow-moving or obsolete inventory. - Oversee inbound freight, ensuring cost-effective and timely delivery of materials. Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work with Finance to align purchasing strategy with cash flow goals. - Partner with Quality to ensure suppliers meet all product, compliance, and certification requirements. - Provide Sales with lead time and cost updates that impact customer pricing or delivery. - Support Operations on continuous improvement projects related to material flow and production efficiency. Data, Systems, Reporting & Compliance - Maintain ERP system data integrity for all supply chain activity. - Develop and track KPIs for supplier performance, purchasing efficiency, inventory turns, and on-time delivery. - Provide weekly and monthly supply chain performance reports to the COO. - Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, quality standards, and company policy. - Continuously evaluate supply chain processes, implementing lean and cost-optimization initiatives.