Procurement/Hard Goods Buyer

The Hard Goods Buyer is responsible for the purchase of all hard good products. The Hard Goods Buyer collaborates with the pricing staff and works with the Sales and Production departments to ensure all events have the correct products when needed. 

Traits for Success | #thepriceisright

• Adept at sourcing materials.
• Keen eye for design aesthetics and upcoming trends.
• Knows numbers.
• Ability to leverage pricing and discount options.
• Pays attention to the small print.
• Organized to a fault.

 Essential Duties | What You’ll Do - The Fun Stuff

• Purchases hard good products through worldwide vendor contacts.

• Strives to locate the best quality product at the most favorable purchase price.   Calculates costs, margins, and profits and communicates them to Production and Sales. 
• Supervises the Hard Good Buyer Assistant to delegate and direct work to accomplish purchasing goals.
• Communicates the status of or concerns for all products to Sales and Production departments in a timely fashion. 
• Works to solve any problems with product or availability with a positive attitude, tact and diplomacy, to achieve the best possible outcome. 
• Provides excellent internal and external customer service.
• Assists in establishing pricing according to margin targets.
• Itemizes cost breakdown per event.
• Follows up on arriving products with Processing and Receiving departments.
• Approves accounts payable items using  purchase orders and matching receipts, and/or by the use of discrepancy reports or credit requests that accompany each payable invoice.
• Procures travel and freight reservations to ensure costs are minimized and within budget.
• Calculates freight utilization for incoming trucks and optimizes costs.  Requests from Logistics the dates and amount of freight by pick up, and enforces pick up cut off times and other pickup requirements according to negotiated contracts.
• Communicates product status with Buyers, Production and Sales in an organized and timely fashion.
• Develops processes to inform Buyers and Sales on changing product availabilities.
• Recommends process changes to improve productivity, efficiencies, safety and quality.
• Researches new purchasing supply chains and vendors; establishes and maintains relationships with new and existing vendors.  
• Attends tradeshows to research and purchase new products.  

Other Duties and Safety Requirements | There’s More!

• Complies with all department and company safety guidelines, procedures, and rules. 
• Mentors safe work practices to co-workers and team.
• Completes all safety training as directed and within established timelines.
• Interfaces professionally with all people, internal and external, in a kind and respectful manner.
• Tracks and enters time and assigns hours and tasks to appropriate events and jobs in time and attendance system. 
• Completes all Human Resources and Payroll tasks and notifications through the Employee Self Service Online Portal on a weekly basis, as directed and within established timelines. 
• Assists in other departments as needed and directed.
• May perform other duties as required.

 Qualifications | What You Need to Bring

• 3 plus years’ experience in hard goods purchasing (particularly in a creative or event décor industry).
• Excellent computer skills and Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly Excel.
• Excellent math skills; ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.
• Excellent decision making, negotiation and problem solving skills.
• Ability to deal effectively with a diversity of individuals at all organizational levels. 
• Excellent interpersonal, tact and diplomacy and conflict management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent ability to deal with pressure, competing demands and deadlines.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and good follow-up skills.
• Knowledge of event management software a plus.
• Project management experience desired.
• Knowledge of event/floral design helpful.
• Some travel required.