Purchasing Agent

Nichols, a division of Imperial Dade, leading national distributor, is hiring a talented Purchasing Agent to join our Purchasing team in West Michigan. 

The successful candidate will have a mix of both strategic and tactical responsibilities and will be tasked with overseeing the management of inbound inventory flow to our warehouses.    The Procurement/Sourcing Specialist will be a product expert, interacting with both the Sales team and our suppliers to ensure our customer needs are met.  The Purchasing Agent will work closely with suppliers on pricing, inventory availability, new items and complementary/substitute items. Candidates that have experience with purchasing Industrial Packaging Supplies such as stretch film, tape, corner board, liners, and custom boxes etc. are preferred.  

Imperial Dade is the leading distributor of foodservice packaging, facilities maintenance supplies and equipment in the U.S. As a provider of customized supply chain solutions, the company serves customers in many business-to-business market segments including supermarkets, healthcare facilities, universities, and restaurants. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in New Jersey, Imperial Dade serves more than 80,000 customers through a footprint of 100+ branches.

**All correspondence will come directly from Imperial Dade and not a personal email address.**

You will:

• Manage Inventory- Analyze historical data and sales team to purchase the right products at the right time to satisfy customer demand. 
• Develop and maintain relationship with suppliers
• Determine the correct par levels and adjust as needed to satisfy changes in demand
• Review dead stock items and work with other purchasing agents within the region to transfer product to other warehouses that show usage. 
• Analyze skus within product category to determine what skus may be eligible to be removed from inventory 
• Continuous Improvement - Collaborate with others to obtain ideal turns and avoid stock-outs 

You have:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in related discipline preferred 
• Experience within distribution preferred 
• A minimum of 3 years of buying and inventory/supply chain experience required
• Analytic skills: Able to think objectively and interpret meaning of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Problem solving skills: Able to use logic and innovative methods to solve problems and identify effective solutions.
• Computer literacy: Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel. An aptitude to learn other technical applications quickly.
• Collaborative approach: Able to build effective relationships with our Sales team, Buying team, source suppliers, and other business partners.
• Strong organizational skills: Attention to detail, urgency to follow up on open issues and drive toward closure, simultaneously manage multiple tasks.
• Innovative: Willing and able to use a creative or unconventional approach if the task calls for it.

We offer a dynamic environment for our more than 7,500 employees to work, learn, and grow professionally. We value our people and strive to create rewarding career opportunities by offering competitive salaries and benefits (medical, dental, vision), a 401(k) program with company match, a shared ownership program, life insurance, a generous paid time off package, educational reimbursement, paid family leave, and adoption assistance. We are excited to invite talented individuals with a passion for excellence to join our team.

Imperial Dade is an EEO Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, status as a parent, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), family medical history, or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.