The posting
Position Summary
The Parts Purchasing Manager is responsible for supporting parts purchasing, supplier relationships, inventory control, and purchasing processes across the McCandless Truck Center network. This role plays a key part in maintaining strong fill rate, controlling inventory levels, reducing excess stock, and supporting branch operations.
Key Responsibilities
Supplier and Vendor Management
- Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to support a reliable supply chain.
- Negotiate pricing, terms, freight programs, and vendor support when applicable.
- Monitor vendor performance, including fill rate, lead times, backorders, pricing accuracy, and issue resolution.
- Support vendor consolidation by identifying approved vendors that should be part of the “MTC Program.”
- Work with vendors on returns, stock adjustments, product swaps, aging inventory, and quality concerns.
Inventory Control and Purchasing
- Monitor inventory levels to ensure parts are available when needed while minimizing excess and obsolete stock.
- Review and maintain min/max settings based on demand, sales history, lead times, and branch needs.
- Support company fill rate goals through accurate and intentional stocking decisions.
- Review inventory turns, days’ supply, overstock, lost sales, and demand trends to guide purchasing decisions.
- Identify aged, dead, or excess inventory and help create plans to sell, return, transfer, or reduce exposure.
- Place and manage purchase orders based on demand, inventory levels, supplier programs, and operational needs.
Purchase Order and Data Management
- Review and clean up open purchase orders to ensure accurate records and timely follow-through.
- Resolve PO discrepancies, backorders, pricing issues, freight concerns, and supplier delays.
- Maintain accurate supplier, cost, inventory, and part record data in company systems.
- Use purchasing reports and system recommendations to make informed buying decisions.
- Generate reports to support purchasing decisions, vendor performance, inventory reviews, and financial analysis.
Cost Control and Profitability
- Analyze parts costs, vendor pricing, freight, rebates, and purchasing programs to identify savings opportunities.
- Support margin improvement through better sourcing, vendor negotiations, and program compliance.
- Review cost changes and supplier programs to ensure purchasing decisions protect profitability.
- Reduce unnecessary stock duplication, emergency freight, and carrying costs where possible.
Cross Department Support
- Work closely with parts managers, service, body shop, sales, PSSR teams, warehouse, dispatch, accounting, and leadership.
- Support branch operations by helping ensure the right parts are available at the right time.
- Communicate supply issues, stocking changes, vendor concerns, and purchasing decisions clearly.
- Partner with sales and PSSR teams to identify all-makes opportunities, customer demand, lost sales, and stocking gaps.
- Support new branch openings, inventory builds, and operational readiness.
Process Improvement and Accountability
- Continuously evaluate purchasing processes to improve speed, accuracy, consistency, and accountability.
- Support standard purchasing procedures across the network.
- Help enforce discipline around min/max, purchase orders, transfers, returns, vendor programs, and inventory controls.
- Take ownership of problems through resolution instead of allowing issues to sit unresolved.
Qualifications
- Strong communication and customer relations skills.
- Strong math, reading comprehension, and analytical skills.
- Purchasing, inventory control, warehouse, parts, or supply chain experience preferred.
- General understanding of distribution center, warehouse, and branch operations.
- Ability to analyze reports, inventory data, purchasing trends, and supplier performance.
- Computer-literate with the ability to learn and become proficient in company software systems.
- Ability to work with multiple departments and branch locations in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to lift 50 lbs. and work at heights of 25 feet or more when needed.
- Valid driver’s license and clean driving record (this is safety sensitive position if forklift certified)
- High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Heavy-duty truck, bus, automotive, dealership, or parts distribution experience
- Excel and Power BI Proficiency
- Experience with min/max inventory management.
- Experience managing open purchase orders and follow-up with vendors.
- Understanding of fill rate, inventory turns, days’ supply, obsolescence, lost sales, and stock replenishment.
- Experience working with vendors, pricing programs, rebates, returns, and supplier performance.
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make decisions using both data and operational knowledge.
What MTC Offers
MTC is a family-owned company that cares about its people, customers, and long-term success. We offer competitive wages, paid time off, paid holidays, full health benefits, and a 401k match. We value commitment, compassion, hard work, accountability, and a desire for each other to succeed. No matter what your experience level is when you join us, our goal is to help you grow, develop, and build a long-term career with MTC.
