Third-Party Procurement Specialist

About Sunward Steel

For over 50 years, Sunward Steel Buildings has been doing things differently. We’re a family-owned, American manufacturer and we don’t just sell steel buildings, we partner with our customers to bring their vision to life. From industrial facilities, aircraft hangars, and self-storage complexes to arenas, barndominiums, agricultural buildings, and fitness centers, we engineer and manufacture fully custom solutions delivered to every state in the U.S. and across Canada. No two projects are alike, and that’s exactly how we like it.

Our mission is simple: fulfill our customers’ visions into dreams that last generations. As Sunward grows its third-party manufacturing partnerships and component network, the ability to manage those relationships with discipline, accountability, and strategic intent becomes a critical business capability - and this role is at the center of it.

Position Summary

The Third-Party Procurement Specialist owns Sunward’s relationships with the external manufacturers, component suppliers, and logistics partners that make up our growing 3P network. As Sunward expands its capacity through third-party manufacturing partnerships, this role is the operational backbone of that expansion - ensuring that every vendor delivers the right product, at the right quality, at the right time, and at the right cost.

This is a role for someone who works independently, thinks critically, and thrives in complexity. You will manage a portfolio of vendor relationships simultaneously - each with its own specifications, timelines, pricing structures, and performance expectations. You are the kind of person who builds systems before you need them, spots problems before they surface, and communicates with clarity and confidence across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

The right candidate brings strong process discipline, genuine curiosity about how things are made, and the interpersonal skills to hold vendors accountable while maintaining productive long-term relationships.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Vendor Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all third-party manufacturers, component suppliers, and logistics partners in Sunward’s 3P network - building strong, accountable, long-term working relationships.
• Conduct regular vendor reviews to assess performance against quality, delivery, pricing, and responsiveness benchmarks - providing structured feedback and escalating underperformance with clear corrective action expectations.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, terms, and contractual agreements with vendors, working in collaboration with leadership to ensure favorable and competitive arrangements.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors to expand Sunward’s 3P manufacturing and component capabilities - conducting due diligence on quality systems, capacity, financial stability, and fit.
• Maintain a comprehensive and current vendor database including contact information, pricing agreements, lead time benchmarks, quality certifications, and performance history.
• Develop and maintain contingency sourcing plans for critical components and manufacturing categories to reduce supply chain risk.

Procurement & Order Management

• Manage the end-to-end procurement process for 3P components and manufactured parts - from requisition through purchase order placement, confirmation, tracking, and delivery verification.
• Ensure all purchase orders are accurate, complete, and entered into the system with correct specifications, quantities, pricing, and delivery requirements before release to vendors.
• Track all open purchase orders proactively - monitoring status, flagging delays, and communicating impacts to internal teams before they affect production or delivery schedules.
• Coordinate with logistics and freight partners on shipping, routing, and delivery scheduling to optimize cost and reliability for inbound component shipments.
• Manage change orders, revisions, and cancellations with vendors in a timely and documented manner, ensuring records reflect current status at all times.

Quality & Compliance

• Partner with the engineering and drafting teams to ensure vendor-supplied components and manufactured parts meet Sunward’s design specifications, tolerances, and quality standards.
• Coordinate receipt inspection and incoming quality verification for 3P components, working with operations to resolve non-conformances and manage returns or replacements with vendors.
• Ensure all vendors maintain required certifications, insurance, and compliance documentation - tracking expiration dates and initiating renewals proactively.
• Document and investigate quality escapes or delivery failures with root cause analysis and corrective action follow-through from the vendor.

Process Development & Continuous Improvement

• Build and maintain the processes, workflows, and documentation standards that govern Sunward’s 3P vendor management function - creating structure where it does not yet exist and improving it where it does.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate vendors, standardize specifications, or renegotiate terms to improve cost efficiency and supply chain resilience.
• Track and report on vendor performance KPIs, procurement cycle times, cost variances, and supply chain risk metrics - presenting findings and recommendations to leadership regularly.
• Champion data integrity across all procurement and vendor management activity - clean, current records are non-negotiable.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering, drafting, project management, and sales to understand component requirements, anticipate procurement needs, and align vendor capacity with project timelines.
• Collaborate with finance on purchase order approval workflows, invoice reconciliation, and vendor payment terms.
• Communicate proactively with internal stakeholders on vendor status, supply risks, and any changes to lead times or pricing that could impact project delivery or cost.

Other duties may be assigned as business needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in vendor management, procurement, supply chain, or purchasing in a manufacturing, construction, or industrial environment
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple vendor relationships and concurrent purchase orders with competing priorities and deadlines
• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of establishing and maintaining favorable vendor agreements
• Experience with systems for procurement and purchase order management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - clear, professional, and effective across both technical and commercial conversations
• High level of independent judgment and ability to drive work to completion without close supervision
• Strong process orientation - builds systems, documents workflows, and maintains disciplined records
• High school diploma or equivalent required

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the PEMB, steel building, construction products, or building materials supply chain
• Familiarity with 3P component categories relevant to steel buildings - overhead doors, insulation, cranes, bar joists, windows, trim, accessories, or custom fabricated parts
• Experience evaluating and onboarding new manufacturing or fabrication vendors
• Background in quality management, incoming inspection, or supplier quality assurance
• Experience with MBS or other PEMB-specific software platforms
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering Technology, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• CPSM, CPIM, or other supply chain or procurement certification

Core Competencies

• Independent Judgment - works autonomously, makes sound decisions without needing to be directed at every step, and escalates the right things at the right time
• Critical Thinking - sees patterns, anticipates problems, and develops solutions before issues become crises
• Process Discipline - builds and follows processes consistently; treats documentation and system hygiene as professional standards, not administrative burdens
• Accountability - holds vendors to commitments while maintaining constructive relationships; comfortable with difficult performance conversations
• Adaptability - manages a varied portfolio of vendors, product types, and business contexts without losing attention to detail
• Communication - translates complex supply chain information clearly for both technical and non-technical audiences across the organization
• Relationship Building - develops credibility and trust with vendors and internal partners alike through consistent, professional follow-through

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Group Life Insurance & AD&D - 100% company-paid
• Long-Term Disability - 100% company-paid
• Voluntary Supplemental Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 128 hours of Paid Time Off
• 8 paid holidays

Work Environment

• Primary work location is an indoor office environment
• Occasional exposure to manufacturing plant, warehouse, or industrial environments during vendor site visits
• Fast-paced, multi-priority environment requiring the ability to manage concurrent vendor relationships and procurement workflows simultaneously

Equal Opportunity Employer

Sunward Steel and its affiliates are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military service, family or parental status, or any other status protected by law. Sunward Steel is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us prior to your interview.