Budgeting, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), Capital Project, Construction, Construction Engineering, Construction Support, Corrective Action, Cost Control, Data Quality, Detail Oriented, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Expense Analysis, Fiber Optic Cable, Hospital, Materials Analysis, Multitasking, Negotiation Skills, Network Operations Center, Network Support, Operational Expenditure (OPEX), Pricing, Project/Program Management, Purchase Orders, Purchasing/Procurement, Risk Management, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), Supply Chain, Team Player, Telecommunications, Time Management, Vendor/Supplier Quality Management, Vendor/Supplier Relations
ABOUT THE COMPANY:
Bluebird Fiber is a premier fiber telecommunications provider of internet, data transport, and other services to carriers, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other enterprises in the Midwest. To learn more, please visit bluebirdfiber.com.
Join an amazing team of telecommunication professionals! Bluebird is a dynamic growing company in need of a Purchasing Agent to be a part of a collaborative team. This is a full-time, benefit eligible position in our Kansas City office. All of us at Bluebird work hard to meet objectives for the organization and live the mission and values of this growing company to meet a common goal. Check out this video that highlights our amazing company culture.
POSITION PURPOSE:
The Purchasing Agent is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and procuring materials and services that support outside plant construction and maintenance activities. This role partners closely with engineering, construction, and field operations teams to ensure timely availability of fiber, conduit, handholes, and related telecom infrastructure materials while optimizing cost, quality, and delivery performance.
QUALIFICATIONS:
REQUIRED:
- 3+ years of procurement or purchasing experience, preferably in telecom or construction
- Strong working knowledge of OSP materials, fiber construction processes, and telecom infrastructure
- Experience managing purchase orders tied to construction or capital projects
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate pricing and manage vendor relationships
- Proficiency in Excel and procurement/ERP systems
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
PREFERRED:
- Experience supporting fiber network builds or data center connectivity projects
- Knowledge of CAPEX vs. OPEX classification and telecom project cost structures
- Familiarity with telecom supply markets and major OSP suppliers
- Experience working with work order-based procurement environments
PRIMARY RESPONSIBLILITES:
- Manage end-to-end procurement of OSP materials including fiber optic cable, conduit, vaults, handholes, vault hardware, and construction-related services
- Issue and manage purchase orders tied to construction work orders, ensuring alignment to project scope, budget, and schedule
- Develop and maintain supplier relationships; negotiate pricing, lead times, and contractual terms to drive cost savings and service reliability
- Monitor and analyze material spend, including variance between budgeted and actual costs to support cost control efforts
- Track order status and proactively mitigate supply chain risks, including long lead items and material shortages
- Support vendor performance management, including service level adherence and corrective action planning
- Maintain procurement data integrity in ERP/procurement systems and support reporting on purchasing activity
Bluebird is an equal opportunity employer.