Sr. Buyer

Position Summary

The Sr. Buyer is responsible for supporting and coordinating purchasing, procurement, vendor management, shipping, logistics, and inventory needs for RPG''s corporate operations, Rock Hill facility, and field projects.

This position manages purchasing activities from initial request through quotation, purchase order issuance, delivery, receipt, invoice reconciliation, and closeout. The Sr. Buyer works closely with project teams, field supervision, estimating, accounting, vendors, and corporate personnel to ensure materials, equipment, supplies, rentals, and services are obtained competitively, accurately, and within required operational timelines. The position requires strong organization, communication, cost awareness, follow-through, and the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and time-sensitive requests.

Essential Functions

Purchasing & Procurement

• Manage day-to-day purchasing requirements for corporate departments, the Rock Hill facility, shop operations, and field projects.
• Obtain and evaluate competitive quotations for materials, equipment, supplies, rentals, and services.
• Consider price, availability, quality, lead time, freight costs, vendor performance, and project schedule when evaluating purchasing options.
• Generate and issue purchase orders in accordance with company authorization requirements and established purchasing procedures.
• Ensure purchase orders contain accurate pricing, quantities, delivery locations, project/job information, and other required documentation.
• Place and coordinate orders with approved vendors and suppliers.
• Track open purchase orders and outstanding purchases through delivery and completion.
• Proactively communicate expected delivery dates, backorders, delays, substitutions, shortages, or other concerns to requestors and project personnel.
• Prioritize purchasing activities based on project schedules, operational needs, and urgency.
• Coordinate emergency and time-sensitive purchasing requirements when necessary to minimize disruption to company or project operations.
• Maintain complete and organized purchasing documentation and electronic records.

Cost Control & Competitive Sourcing

• Seek competitive pricing and sourcing alternatives to support cost-effective purchasing decisions.
• Obtain multiple quotations when appropriate or required based on purchase value, availability, or company procedure.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings through alternate suppliers, volume purchasing, negotiated pricing, freight consolidation, or other sourcing strategies.
• Monitor frequently purchased materials and services for significant pricing changes.
• Assist management with evaluating vendor pricing and purchasing trends.
• Avoid unnecessary expedited shipping, premium pricing, duplicate purchases, or other preventable costs whenever operationally feasible.
• Maintain awareness of project budgets and cost considerations when making purchasing decisions.

Vendor & Supplier Management

• Develop and maintain professional working relationships with vendors, suppliers, rental companies, freight carriers, and service providers.
• Assist with establishing new vendors and obtaining required vendor documentation, including W-9s, certificates of insurance, credit applications, and other required information, as applicable.
• Maintain current vendor contact and account information.
• Monitor vendor performance related to pricing, quality, responsiveness, delivery, and service.
• Address vendor issues including incorrect orders, shortages, damaged materials, late deliveries, billing discrepancies, and other performance concerns.
• Escalate recurring or significant vendor performance issues to management.
• Assist in identifying alternate or backup suppliers for critical materials and services.

Purchase Order & Accounting Coordination

• Receive purchased products and services within RAMP or other applicable company systems upon confirmation of receipt.
• Coordinate closely with Accounts Payable to support accurate and timely invoice processing.
• Research and resolve discrepancies involving purchase orders, invoices, pricing, quantities, freight charges, taxes, receiving records, or other purchasing documentation.
• Ensure purchases are appropriately assigned to the correct project, department, cost code, or other accounting designation when required.
• Assist with reconciliation of purchasing records and outstanding purchase orders.
• Coordinate vendor credits and ensure appropriate documentation is provided to Accounting.
• Maintain appropriate supporting documentation for purchases made outside of the standard purchase order process.

Company Credit Card Purchases

• Make authorized company credit card purchases when appropriate and in accordance with company policy.
• Maintain receipts and supporting documentation for all company card transactions.
• Ensure purchases are properly identified and allocated to the applicable project, department, or cost code.
• Coordinate with Accounting to resolve credit card transaction discrepancies or missing documentation.
• Ensure company purchasing methods are used responsibly and only for authorized business purposes.

Rentals & Temporary Equipment

• Coordinate rental equipment and temporary material requirements for field projects and company operations.
• Obtain competitive rental pricing when appropriate.
• Coordinate delivery, pickup, extensions, exchanges, and termination of rental equipment.
• Track active rentals to prevent unnecessary charges or continued billing after equipment is no longer required.
• Coordinate with project personnel to verify rental equipment remains in use and determine appropriate off-rent dates.
• Review rental invoices for accuracy and assist in resolving discrepancies or damage charges.

Returns, Exchanges & Vendor Credits

• Coordinate returns, exchanges, warranty claims, and vendor credits for incorrect, damaged, defective, excess, or unused materials and equipment.
• Obtain return authorizations and coordinate return shipping when required.
• Track outstanding vendor credits through completion.
• Coordinate with Accounts Payable to ensure credits are appropriately applied.
• Maintain documentation supporting returns, exchanges, and credits.

Estimating & Bid Support

• Support the Estimating/Bidding Department by obtaining competitive quotations for materials, equipment, subcontracted services, rentals, freight, and other project requirements.
• Assist in identifying appropriate vendors and sourcing options for prospective work.
• Provide pricing, lead-time information, freight considerations, and other purchasing information needed to support accurate project estimates.
• Maintain quotations and vendor information for reference during estimating and subsequent project execution.
• Assist with updating quotations when bid schedules or project requirements change.

Shipping & Logistics

• Coordinate shipment of materials, equipment, tools, supplies, and other items to field locations for project mobilization and ongoing project support.
• Select appropriate shipping methods based on cost, urgency, size, destination, and operational requirements.
• Track shipments and provide delivery information to appropriate personnel.
• Coordinate expedited shipments when operationally necessary.
• Address lost, delayed, damaged, or incorrectly delivered shipments with carriers and vendors.
• Coordinate shipment of company merchandise and promotional materials to employees, supervisors, project locations, and clients.
• Coordinate outbound and return shipping of crates, displays, materials, and equipment associated with trade shows, conventions, recruiting events, and other company functions.
• Maintain applicable shipping and tracking documentation.

Inventory Management

• Work with Rock Hill facility personnel to maintain appropriate inventory levels of commonly used materials, consumables, supplies, and equipment.
• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate replenishment based on anticipated usage and operational requirements.
• Help establish appropriate minimum/maximum inventory quantities for frequently used items.
• Assist with periodic physical inventory counts and reconciliation.
• Identify obsolete, excess, damaged, or slow-moving inventory and communicate findings to management.
• Maintain organized inventory and purchasing records to support accountability and efficient operations.

Company Asset Tracking

• Maintain accurate records of applicable company-owned assets located at the Rock Hill facility and field project locations.
• Track the issuance, transfer, relocation, return, and disposition of company assets as required.
• Coordinate with project management and field supervision to maintain visibility of company-owned equipment and assets assigned to projects.
• Assist with periodic asset verification and reconciliation.
• Support the recovery and return of company assets at project completion or employee demobilization.
• Identify missing, unreturned, or unaccounted-for assets and communicate discrepancies to appropriate management.

Compliance & Purchasing Controls

• Follow established company purchasing authorization levels, approval processes, and documentation requirements.
• Ensure purchases are appropriately authorized prior to commitment of company funds.
• Maintain appropriate separation between requesting, approving, purchasing, receiving, and payment functions where required by company procedures.
• Protect confidential and proprietary information including vendor pricing, company purchasing data, project costs, client information, and contractual information.
• Support internal reviews or audits by providing requested purchasing, vendor, shipping, inventory, and asset documentation.
• Identify unusual purchasing activity, significant price discrepancies, duplicate purchases, or other concerns and communicate them to management.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate, complete, and organized purchasing, vendor, shipping, inventory, rental, and asset records.
• Provide timely and professional communication to internal requestors regarding purchasing status and outstanding requirements.
• Maintain strong working relationships with Operations, Estimating, Accounting, Project Management, field supervision, and other corporate departments.
• Manage multiple requests and competing priorities in a fast-paced, schedule-driven environment.
• Respond effectively to changing priorities, urgent project needs, and last-minute requirements.
• Exercise sound judgment regarding cost, quality, schedule, vendor selection, and operational requirements.
• Identify potential purchasing or supply-chain issues early and communicate concerns before they negatively impact project schedules.
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, attention to detail, and appropriate stewardship of company resources.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of company, project, and contractual requirements.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience in purchasing, procurement, materials management, logistics, inventory, construction support, or a related function preferred.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple simultaneous requests.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate documentation.
• Ability to obtain and evaluate vendor quotations and make sound purchasing recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to develop productive working relationships with vendors and internal departments.
• Ability to identify and resolve purchasing, shipping, invoicing, and inventory discrepancies.
• Strong computer skills and ability to effectively use purchasing, accounting, inventory, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to work independently while appropriately communicating issues requiring management attention.
• Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced environment where project requirements and priorities may change quickly.
• Construction, industrial, power generation, nuclear, defense, or field-project purchasing experience is preferred.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Ability and willingness to work in both professional office and warehouse/shop environments as business needs require.
• Ability to safely navigate warehouse, shop, shipping/receiving, and material storage areas.
• Ability to receive, inspect, organize, and assist with the handling of incoming and outgoing materials, equipment, packages, and shipments.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and perform other physical activities associated with inventory, shipping, receiving, and warehouse functions.
• Ability to lift and carry materials and packages up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to safely use basic material-handling equipment and tools, as trained and authorized.
• Must be willing to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) while working in designated shop, warehouse, project, or operational areas.
• Ability to work in environments that may periodically include noise, dust, temperature variations, moving equipment, and other conditions typical of an industrial warehouse or fabrication/shop setting.
• Must maintain awareness of and comply with applicable company safety requirements while performing warehouse, shipping, receiving, and inventory-related activities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

RPG is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in employment on account of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, criminal history, ancestry, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, or discharge from military service. RPG provides its services to many clients in their various business sectors who may have physical, mental, pre-employment screening and/or citizenship requirements. These requirements are driven by contracts and/ or security requirements that RPG is required to adhere to, and which may vary between clients and their respective high-security industries. Misrepresentation or falsification of qualifications or background information is grounds for termination, denial of employment and/ or disqualification from future employment consideration.