Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. AlarMax Distributors is hiring a Buyer / Purchasing Analyst to analyze demand, purchasing requirements, supplier performance, and replenishment needs across assigned locations. The role manages purchase orders, evaluates inventory and supplier data, and makes purchasing recommendations to support product availability and inventory objectives.
Responsibilities
- Manage purchasing and replenishment for assigned locations, suppliers, and/or product categories
- Analyze system-generated purchasing recommendations and determine appropriate order quantities
- Create, review, modify, and release purchase orders based on demand, available inventory, open customer orders, supplier lead times, Min/Max parameters, and business requirements
- Combine customer-order requirements with replenishment purchases when appropriate
- Evaluate existing company inventory and transfer opportunities before placing additional purchase orders
- Monitor open purchase orders, backorders, supplier acknowledgments, expected delivery dates, and order exceptions
- Work directly with suppliers to resolve shortages, lead-time issues, order discrepancies, and fill-rate concerns
- Identify opportunities to consolidate orders, meet freight thresholds, and improve purchasing efficiency
- Analyze sales history, product usage, demand trends, inventory levels, open orders, supplier lead times, and purchasing history
- Use data to identify purchasing requirements, potential shortages, excess inventory, unusual demand patterns, and purchasing opportunities
- Evaluate purchasing recommendations rather than relying solely on system-generated quantities
- Perform ad-hoc analysis to support purchasing and supply-chain decisions
- Identify trends and exceptions requiring corrective action
- Translate analysis into clear purchasing recommendations and actions
- Analyze supplier performance including fill rate, lead-time reliability, backorders, pricing, and order accuracy
- Support forecasting and purchasing requirements for promotions, projects, new products, supplier programs, and anticipated demand changes
- Maintain appropriate product availability while supporting company inventory investment and working-capital objectives
- Review inventory levels against established Min/Max and days-of-supply targets
- Identify excess, slow-moving, and potentially obsolete inventory created through purchasing activity
- Recommend inventory transfers when existing company inventory can satisfy demand before purchasing additional product
- Identify unusual sales spikes or project-related demand that should not automatically drive future replenishment
- Support periodic review and adjustment of replenishment parameters based on actual demand patterns
- Develop effective working relationships with assigned suppliers
- Monitor supplier lead times, fill rates, backorders, minimum-order requirements, freight policies, and purchasing programs
- Communicate projected requirements and significant changes in demand to suppliers
- Escalate recurring supplier performance issues
- Support supplier negotiations and purchasing initiatives by providing historical purchasing and performance data
- Work closely with Sales, Branch Operations, Supplier Relations, Pricing, and Supply Chain leadership
- Review unusual or project-specific purchasing requirements with appropriate stakeholders
- Communicate product availability risks, significant backorders, purchasing constraints, and supplier issues
- Support new product introductions, supplier conversions, promotions, and other initiatives affecting purchasing requirements
Skills
- Strong analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, filters, formulas, and analysis of large datasets
- Experience working with ERP or purchasing/replenishment systems
- Experience analyzing demand, purchasing requirements, inventory levels, and supplier performance
- Strong attention to detail and data accuracy
- Ability to manage multiple suppliers, locations, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to independently analyze a problem, develop a recommendation, and execute the appropriate action
- 3+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, replenishment, supply chain, distribution, or a related analytical role preferred
- Epicor Prophet 21 experience strongly preferred
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Economics, Analytics, or related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience considered
Company Overview