Purchasing and Inventory Manager - Feed Mill

Keep the Mill Moving. Manage the Supply. Make an Impact. What happens when a feed mill needs thousands of pounds of grain, an ingredient shipment is delayed, inventory levels are changing, or a supplier announces a major price increase? You make sure we’re ready. As the Purchasing & Inventory Manager , you’ll play a critical role in keeping our feed mill operating safely, efficiently, and without interruption. You’ll manage the purchasing and inventory of bulk grains, feed ingredients, packaging materials, bagged feed, and resale products while balancing availability, cost, quality, inventory levels, and supplier performance. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys solving problems, working with suppliers, analyzing information, and making decisions that directly impact operations. You’ll work closely with Production, Quality Assurance, Nutrition, Receiving, Logistics, Accounting, and other Brown’s teams to make sure the right materials are available at the right time—and that we’re managing our inventory wisely. What You'll Do Own the Purchasing Process Monitor inventory, production requirements, usage, supplier lead times, and market conditions to determine current and future purchasing needs. Purchase bulk grains, feed ingredients, packaging materials, bagged feed, resale products, and other materials needed to support operations. Request and evaluate supplier pricing, availability, and delivery terms. Place purchase orders within established purchasing authority. Maintain accurate purchase orders, contracts, pricing information, and delivery schedules in our ERP and related systems. Balance availability, inventory investment, quality, and price when making purchasing decisions. Monitor market conditions and communicate significant price changes, shortages, supply risks, and purchasing opportunities to management. Coordinate inbound deliveries with suppliers, Receiving, Production, and Logistics. Build & Manage Supplier Relationships Develop strong relationships with key suppliers and serve as an important point of contact for purchasing and supply issues. Work with vendors to resolve pricing, quality, delivery, and service concerns. Identify and develop alternate suppliers and sourcing options when appropriate. Conduct annual performance reviews of key suppliers. Partner with Quality Assurance and Nutrition to ensure purchased materials meet established specifications and quality requirements. Keep Inventory Accurate & Under Control Monitor raw materials, ingredients, packaging, bagged products, and resale inventory to ensure adequate supply without unnecessarily tying up capital. Establish and maintain appropriate inventory levels based on usage, production requirements, lead times, and supplier availability. Maintain accurate inventory and purchasing records within the ERP system. Coordinate and complete cycle counts and physical inventories. Investigate inventory discrepancies and process approved adjustments. Monitor product rotation and identify aged, slow-moving, damaged, or obsolete inventory. Investigate inventory quantity and cost variances and work with the appropriate departments to identify and correct the root cause. Assist with developing and improving inventory-control procedures and processes. Analyze, Improve & Solve Problems This role isn't just about placing orders. We're looking for someone who will look at the bigger picture and find ways to make the operation better. You will: Identify opportunities to improve purchasing processes and inventory controls. Look for ways to improve supplier performance, service, and cost. Identify potential supply disruptions before they become operational problems. Analyze purchasing and inventory information to support better business decisions. Follow issues through to resolution rather than simply passing them along. Help identify opportunities to improve efficiency across the operation. Work Where the Action Is This i…

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