Inventory Purchasing Supervisor

**Staples is business to business. **You’re what binds us together.

Staples Promotional Products is the world's most trusted source for branded merchandise. As an unprecedented 11-time winner of the Distributor of the Year Award and the highest-ranking Canadian distributor on the North American Top 40 list, we are committed to providing outstanding service and exceptional value. That's why companies large and small, all over the world, turn to us for the resources they need to increase brand reach and visibility.

**Job Title**: Inventory Purchasing Supervisor (SPP)

**What you'll be doing**:
The Inventory Purchasing Supervisor serves as the functional manager of inventory staff in addition to maintaining an appropriate level of in-stock inventory which minimizes overstocks while maximizing sales and customer service.
- Place reorders as needed to maintain stock levels within service levels and inventory turn targets, while maintaining purchases within planned monthly purchasing budget
- Evaluate Backorder, Line Fill and Items to Order reports to identify service level gaps and make adjustments to reach or surpass identified service level targets. Work with internal teams and vendors as needed to resolve
- Perform bulk buy analysis to identify opportunities to re-negotiate for a better cost on an item based on annual usage. Work with Procurement/Vendor Management to identify and obtain better costing
- Report on and assess inventory targets monthly with senior management - Supervise team of drop ship order expeditors
- Ensure drop ship orders are processed within established SLA’s
- Follow up to ensure drop ship orders are delivered on time
- Work with expediters and accounts payable to ensure invoicing is meeting established SLA’s
- Work with vendors and Procurement/Vendor Relations to improve production and delivery times
- Utilize ERP and Reporting Tools to report on established and adhoc inventory metrics
- Recommend and order initial buy inventory quantities for new catalog launch or program refresh
- Recommend product and sku counts for booking offerings
- Use available historical information in system screens and reports to determine optimal initial buy quantities for each sku. Submit recommendation to Account Services Manager and Sales for client approval
- Execute timely placement of orders according to program schedule
- Follow up on purchase order ETA’s to ensure product is on time for launches and bookings
- Identify items that should be discontinued and communicate recommendations to the Account Services Manager
- Work with Account Services to establish sell down strategy
- Code items appropriately in the ERP system to minimize residual inventory
- Perform periodic purge of obsolete, inactive skus from the ERP system
- Make recommendations on inventory write offs and write off inventory as approved by senior management. Work with vendors, inventory expeditors and merchandising to achieve timely resolutions to quality control issues

**What you bring to the table**:
**Management Responsibilities**
- Supervise and manage performance of inventory staff
- Write and conduct performance appraisals
- Monitor and approve attendance for all members of inventory staff
- Train new department personnel on ERP system and purchasing processes and procedures

**Business Strategy**
- Help set inventory targets with senior management, including inventory turns, fill rate, backorder rate, and clearance targets. Set targets for short and mid-term periods
- Work with senior management to support and improve SLA requirements, productivity, directional decisions, and profitability impact
- Work with senior management to develop long-term purchasing strategies

**Innovation & Change**
- Identify system enhancement needs
- Participate in system enhancement meetings, work with team to help develop system requirements and review documentation
- Participate in system testing

**Discretion and Independent Judgement**
- Regularly makes decisions on high dollar value purchases
- Manages multimillion dollar inventory investment

**Communications & Interactions**
- Work cross-functionally with internal departments; communicate relevant information to all departments
- Review and approve initial buy recommended quantities from all Inventory Analysts
- Develop and maintain positive and effective relations with vendors and internal departments to facilitate timely and accurate processing of orders and delivered product
- Develop and provide item sales forecasts to Procurement/Vendor Management upon request
- Communicate vendor and product issues, accurately and timely, to Account Services, Merchandising team, Procurement/Vendor Management, Operations, and other impacted groups
- Communicate and escalate issues to minimize customer service impact

**Qualifications**:
**What’s needed - Basic Qualifications**:

- 2-4 years of purchasing experience within an ERP system
- 3-5 years purchasing experience with budget and/or