Purchasing and Procurement Agent

About The Company

Downtown FabWorks is a leader in scenic and architectural fabrication, providing high-quality custom  solutions for the entertainment, events, exhibit and architectural industries. We are a team of multidisciplinary craftspeople and professionals that enjoy out-of-the-box thinking to bring designs and visions to life, while providing maximum engagement with the user every step of the way. Our vision is to become the Gulf South’s first choice for custom fabrication for events, exhibits, and themed environments. We are growing our team of creative, open minded, and collaborative people from diverse skill sets and backgrounds, and use that knowledge to elevate the quality of the experience for our team and our clients. 

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, driven, and results-oriented Purchasing and Procurement Agent to lead the purchasing and vendor management efforts for the company. This role is responsible for engaging and managing vendor relations, assisting the estimation team with vendor pricing during the project estimation process, acts as the purchasing funnel during project fulfillment, maintains positive vendor relationships, and ensures that we receive the best value from our purchases and our suppliers.  The ideal candidate has experience in procurement and navigating project timelines, understands negotiation, and excels in relationship-building and vendor coordination.  The position reports to the Director of Project Management. 

Primary Responsibilities

Vendor Management, Sourcing and Evaluation

• Build and maintain long-term relationships with suppliers, and resolve issues regarding shortages or defective materials.
• Research potential suppliers and vendors for unique items and materials.
• Evaluate vendor quotes and offerings, and work with the estimation and project management team to compare to the project specifications and budgets
• Analyze price, quality of products, and lead-times amongst all vendors.

Negotiation and Procurement

• Negotiate best pricing with our vendors/suppliers, including establishing volume pricing for our inventory items.
• Negotiate payment terms with vendors/suppliers to align with the best interests of the business and the project receivables.
• Coordinate deliveries with the appropriate Downtown FabWorks team members.

Record Keeping and Analysis

• Build and maintain our preferred vendor list.
• Maintain accurate databases of vendor purchases and pricing.
• Manage purchasing projections in conjunction with project managers, operations, and accounts payable.
• Directly coordinate with our craft department heads on material inventory minimums and maximums.
• Directly coordinate with our estimation department on materials and cost of goods pricing.

Key Attributes

Efficient Communicator - Able to communicate effectively with external and internal communications. Able to liaise between vendors/suppliers and our team.  

Team Leader - This position requires gathering information from peers and vendors. The person who fills this role needs to be patient and communicative while understanding how to drive procurement forward with urgency when required. 

Problem Solving - This is a growing business and there are always unforeseen challenges. Being able to troubleshoot and communicate through a problem with peers is critical toward this role. 

Efficient Operator - Understands the value of everyone’s time. The person who fills this position needs to make sure that goals are achieved in a timely manner and manages their workflow accordingly. 

Organized and Able to Scale - Understands the importance of administrative organization, including file and document management, time management, and software to achieve administrative scale.

Emotional Intelligence — Has the ability to read people, adapt your approach, and work effectively with a diverse team of skilled craftspeople and creative professionals.

Knowledge & Skills

• A minimum of 5 years experience in purchasing/procurement and/or project finance management.
• Contract literacy — comfortable reviewing and analyzing agreement terms and identifying key obligations and risk factors.
• A detailed ability to manage time and expectations.
• A Bachelor's degree or higher.

Technical & Software Skills

The person in this position needs to be well-versed in the following software:

• Excel and/or Google Sheets
• Slack
• Asana
• Time management software, including Google Calendar and all of its functionality.
• Familiarity with project management software preferred. 

Work Schedule & Travel

This is a full-time, salaried exempt in-person position based out of our New Orleans office. Travel to meet with vendors and/or for educational purposes may be required. 

Compensation

• Salary Range: $60,000 - $70,000 annual salary based on experience and fit 

Benefits:

• 401(k) Retirement plan
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off: Accrued PTO (up to 20 days per year), and 10 Paid Holidays
• Vision insurance

Equal Opportunity Employer

Downtown FabWorks is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.