Purchasing Strategy & Systems Manager

Job specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

SUMMARY

AIH, a subsidiary of Bering Straits Native Corporation, is seeking a qualified Purchasing Strategy & Systems Manager to support and strengthen the effectiveness of the company’s purchasing operations.

This role serves as a dedicated resource focused on improving purchasing systems, inventory performance, vendor effectiveness, and operational consistency across the organization. Working alongside the purchasing team and leadership, this position concentrates on areas that require deeper analysis, process ownership, and cross-functional coordination, ensuring the department operates efficiently and in alignment with company goals.

While not a primary buying role, this position provides support to purchasing functions when needed and works to enhance the tools, processes, and insights that drive purchasing decisions. The role is designed to complement and support the purchasing team by addressing high-impact areas that are critical to company performance but often fall outside of day-to-day buying responsibilities.

This position is expected to evolve as the organization grows, with increasing responsibility in systems optimization, analytics, and strategic alignment across departments.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

· Analyze company-wide inventory levels to ensure appropriate stock positions, identify excess or aging inventory, and coordinate transfers, returns, or rebalancing efforts as needed.

· Monitor and support purchasing systems and ERP parameters including lead times, order points, min/max levels, and ordering controls to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

· Review and support purchase orders exceeding established thresholds, ensuring alignment with company policies, inventory strategy, and budget expectations.

· Provide purchasing coverage and operational support when buyers are unavailable or when workload demands require additional assistance.

· Ensure the T-Min program and other purchasing automation tools are functioning as intended; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend adjustments.

· Evaluate seasonal assortments, product lifecycle performance, and inventory positioning to align purchasing decisions with sales trends and operational needs.

· Develop, document, and improve purchasing procedures and workflows to increase consistency, efficiency, and accountability across all locations.

· Identify opportunities to improve inventory turns, reduce excess and obsolete stock, and optimize overall purchasing performance.

· Support and participate in supplier discussions related to pricing, freight, lead times, order quantities, and service expectations in alignment with company objectives.

· Monitor supplier performance including, fill- rates, delivery timelines, and product quality; assist in addressing discrepancies and maintaining strong vendor relationships.

· Track market trends, vendor pricing, and competitive positioning to support informed purchasing decisions.

· Prepare and analyze purchasing reports, inventory metrics, and operational data to provide actionable insights to leadership and the purchasing team.

· Develop and maintain purchasing KPIs including inventory turns, service levels, stock health, and vendor performance metrics.

· Create and maintain training materials, documentation, and standard operating procedures to support onboarding and ongoing development of purchasing staff.

· Coordinate with operations, warehouse, finance, and store leadership to ensure purchasing strategies align with company-wide initiatives and operational needs.

· Lead or support purchasing-related improvement initiatives, system enhancements, and inventory optimization projects.

· Present insights, findings, and recommendations to leadership to support continuous improvement and informed decision-making.

· Work independently to drive process improvements while collaborating closely with the purchasing team to ensure alignment and practicality of solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS - EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION

Required (Minimum) Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field; or equivalent combination of experience may be substituted.

· Minimum of 5 years of experience in purchasing, inventory management, supply chain operations, sales, or a related field.

· Experience working with ERP systems, purchasing analytics, and inventory control processes.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

· Strong understanding of purchasing practices, inventory management, vendor relationships, and supply chain operations.

· Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends, risks, and operational improvement opportunities.

· Knowledge of purchasing systems, ERP controls, inventory planning methods, and forecasting techniques.

· Ability to develop procedures, training materials, and operational documentation.

· Strong organizational and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.

· Ability to communicate effectively with internal teams, leadership, and external vendors.

· Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment and collaborating with team members on decisions.

Preferred

· Advanced experience in inventory optimization, purchasing analytics, or procurement systems.

· Experience developing KPIs, dashboards, or reporting tools.

· Experience working in multi-location retail, wholesale, or distribution environments.

· Experience supporting vendor negotiations or supplier relationship management.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for bending, stooping, sitting, walking or standing for prolonged periods of time; most of time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunity to move about.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is performed on-site in a modern office setting and is not intended to be a hybrid role. It requires extensive use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and multi-line telephone system. Occasional travel may be required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

· Support the training and development of purchasing department employees to ensure consistent processes, best practices, and alignment with company expectations.

· Participate in the hiring, onboarding, and development of new purchasing team members, including structured training in role responsibilities, systems, and company standards. This includes providing hands-on guidance through real-world applications such as participating in vendor meetings, observing negotiations, and supporting decision-making during the initial onboarding period.

· Provide ongoing coaching and mentorship to purchasing staff, including guidance on negotiation strategies, prioritization, vendor relationships, and alignment with AIH goals and performance expectations.

· Provide day-to-day guidance, prioritization, and operational support to purchasing staff to ensure departmental goals, deadlines, and service levels are consistently met.

· Assist with coordination of department scheduling, time-off requests, and workflow planning to maintain continuity of operations and appropriate coverage.

· Participate in vendor meetings, supplier discussions, and internal cross-functional meetings to support purchasing initiatives and ensure alignment across departments.

· Contribute to senior leadership discussions and company-wide initiatives as needed, providing insight related to purchasing systems, inventory performance, and operational improvement opportunities

ADDITIONAL QUALIFYING FACTORS

As a condition of employment, may be required to pass a pre-employment drug screening, as well as have acceptable reference and background check results to obtain access to military base. Must have reliable transportation to/from work a necessity and must be able to obtain access to military installations.

Shareholder Preference. BSNC gives hiring, promotion, training and retention preference to BSNC shareholders, BSNC shareholder descendants and BSNC shareholder spouses, in that order.

Bering Straits Native Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/ AA/ Male/ Female/ Disability/ Vets employer.

We participate in the E-Verify Employment Verification Program. We are a drug free workplace.