Purchasing Manager

About the Opportunity: A leading national label manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Purchasing Manager to lead procurement activities from its Itasca, Illinois headquarters. The company operates multiple manufacturing facilities across the United States and serves a diverse customer base in industrial, logistics, retail, and consumer markets. This role will be responsible for developing and executing purchasing strategies, managing supplier relationships, controlling material costs, and ensuring uninterrupted supply to support manufacturing operations. The successful candidate will play a key role in driving cost savings, improving supplier performance, and supporting overall business growth.

Key Responsibilities: Manage procurement of raw materials, packaging products, MRO supplies, and operational consumables. Develop and maintain strategic supplier relationships to ensure quality, service, and competitive pricing. Lead supplier negotiations, contract management, and annual cost reduction initiatives. Identify opportunities to improve purchasing processes, inventory control, and supply chain efficiency. Monitor supplier performance through KPIs, scorecards, and service level agreements. Collaborate with Operations, Production Planning, Engineering, Customer Service, and Finance teams to support business objectives. Analyze spending trends, market conditions, and supplier capabilities to support sourcing decisions. Mitigate supply chain risks through contingency planning and supplier diversification. Ensure compliance with company policies, quality standards, and regulatory requirements. Support ERP and inventory management initiatives to improve data accuracy and purchasing effectiveness.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field preferred.5+ years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management experience within a manufacturing environment. Proven track record of supplier negotiation, cost reduction, and strategic sourcing. Experience managing supplier relationships and procurement budgets. Strong understanding of inventory management and production support requirements. Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel. Excellent analytical, communication, and leadership skills. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred Experience: Backgrounds from any of the following industries are highly desirable:

• Labels
• Flexible Packaging
• Folding Carton
• Corrugated Packaging
• Printing & Converting
• Industrial Manufacturing
• Consumer Products Manufacturing