Purchasing Coordinator

Purchasing Coordinator (W-2 Employee)

¡WEPA! líbros® | Elgin, IL | Part-Time (15–20 hrs/wk, In-Person)

Who We Are

¡WEPA! líbros® is a fast-growing, equity-centered distributor of multilingual books to schools and libraries across the U.S. We’re building a lean, startup-minded team that values speed, precision, and ownership. Every role at ¡WEPA! líbros® connects directly to our mission: celebrating every language and ensuring communities see themselves represented on the shelves.

About This Role

The Purchasing Coordinator is a task-driven execution lead who safeguards company value through accurate, profitable, and well-documented procurement while managing vendor communication. You’ll translate curated book lists into validated purchase orders, confirm vendor details, and ensure every purchase order meets margin requirements and project timelines.

Your strength is precision and ownership — validating ISBNs and markups, catching mismatches early, and keeping meticulous records. At the same time, you’ll work directly with vendors to submit orders, confirm shipments, resolve issues, and negotiate terms when needed.

What You’ll Do

Purchase Order Execution

• Turn curated book lists into clean, vendor-ready purchase orders.
• Validate ISBNs, editions, quantities, vendors, and pricing/markup against internal standards.
• Flag out-of-stock, duplicate, or mismatched records quickly.
• Update CRM/Sheets with accurate purchasing status and provide weekly summaries.

Vendor Management & Communication

• Submit and confirm purchase orders with approved vendors.
• Track shipments and ensure timelines align with project deadlines.
• Resolve vendor issues quickly (backorders, pricing shifts, substitutions).
• Negotiate terms (pricing, shipping, payment) when authorized.
• Maintain positive, professional relationships with domestic and international vendors.

Financial Accountability & Profitability

• Ensure every PO is profitable by reviewing all costs (books, shipping, packaging, fees, currency exchange) before approval.
• Flag and escalate any unprofitable or low-margin risks immediately.
• Track vendor invoices, payments, and purchasing costs with meticulous accuracy.
• Maintain the interim project profitability spreadsheet until the company-wide ops tracker is launched.

Documentation & Systems Hygiene

• Keep procurement logs, vendor files, and purchase documentation organized and error-free.
• Ensure trackers and records are clear enough for any teammate to take over mid-project.
• Contribute to workflow improvements that reduce errors, speed up processing, and protect company value.

You Might Be a Fit If You:

• Take pride in clean spreadsheets, no typos, and zero missing data.
• Are detail-obsessed and catch errors others miss.
• Have 2–3+ years of experience in procurement, purchasing, or vendor management.
• Communicate clearly and directly with both teammates and vendors.
• Thrive in fast-paced, detail-heavy roles where accuracy is non-negotiable.
• Are bilingual (English–Spanish) and comfortable communicating with global vendors.
• Exhibit builder qualities: independent, proactive, and solutions-focused.

Requirements

• Strong spreadsheet skills (Google Sheets, Excel) and documentation discipline.
• Familiarity with POs, invoices, and vendor contracts.
• Proven financial judgment — ability to assess profitability and margin risks.
• In-person availability at our Elgin, IL headquarters (15–20 hrs/week).
• Ability to manage deadlines independently and escalate risks early.

Why This Role Matters

This position is mission-critical to ¡WEPA! líbros®. By protecting financial accuracy and ensuring clean, profitable purchasing, you’ll provide the stability that allows the company to continue scaling and serving schools and libraries nationwide. For the right candidate, this role offers consistent part-time work with clear responsibilities and a direct impact on organizational success.

Compensation & Schedule

• Classification: W-2 Employee (part-time).
• Hours: 15–20 hrs/week, with increased hours during peak seasons (April–May, Aug–Oct).
• Pay: $23/hour and up, commensurate with experience.
• Location: In-person at Elgin, IL studio.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Work Location: In person