VP of Purchasing

THE ROLE: The Vice President of Purchasing is a critical executive leadership role responsible for the strategic direction, management, and oversight of all purchasing, procurement, contracting, and supply chain activities across the organization. This position drives significant impact on the company's profitability and construction efficiency by optimizing material and labor costs, ensuring quality and availability of supplies, and fostering strong, long-term relationships with trade partners (subcontractors) and suppliers. The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in residential construction purchasing, outstanding negotiation skills, and a proven ability to lead and mentor a high-performing team.

DAY IN THE LIFE:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, long-term national/regional purchasing strategy aligned with the company’s growth objectives, product evolution, and financial targets.
• Establish, monitor, and enforce cost-reduction targets without compromising quality, efficiency, or construction standards.
• Lead efforts to value engineer products, collaborating with Architecture, Construction, and Operations to identify and implement material and design efficiencies.
• Analyze market trends, commodity pricing, and labor availability to anticipate risks and opportunities, adjusting procurement strategies accordingly.
• Oversee the complete sourcing, qualification, selection, and onboarding process for all trade partners and suppliers.
• Direct all major contract negotiations, ensuring favorable terms, pricing, scope clarity, service level agreements (SLAs), and risk mitigation.
• Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key trade partners and suppliers, focused on performance, reliability, and continuous improvement.
• Implement and manage a robust trade partner performance evaluation system based on quality, scheduling, safety, and cost adherence.
• Standardize and streamline purchasing processes, procedures, and documentation across all operating divisions.
• Manage the development and maintenance of comprehensive material specifications, scopes of work, and contract documents (e.g., MSAs, purchase orders).
• Oversee the administration and optimization of purchasing-related technology and systems (e.g., ERP, estimating software, bidding platforms).
• Ensure all purchasing practices comply with legal requirements, company policies, and ethical standards.
• Lead, mentor, and manage the entire Purchasing, Estimating, and/or Supply Chain team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and high performance.
• Set clear performance goals for the department and individual team members, conducting regular performance reviews and providing professional development opportunities.
• Act as a key liaison and collaborative partner to other executive functions, including Construction, Operations, Finance, Sales, and Product Development
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on key purchasing metrics, including cost variances, savings realized, commodity forecasts, and trade partner capacity.
• Collaborate with the Finance department to manage budgets, forecasts, and cost-to-complete reporting.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Construction Management, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership (Director or VP) role within the Homebuilding/Residential Construction industry.
• Proven track record of driving significant cost savings and efficiency improvements through strategic sourcing and negotiation.
• Exceptional negotiation and contract management skills with a deep understanding of residential construction materials, methods, and trade scopes.
• Strong leadership capabilities with experience managing and developing high-performing, multi-functional teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency with modern construction management and ERP software (e.g., BuildPro, Hyphen Solutions, JD Edwards, SAP).

WHAT WILL SET YOU A PART

• Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent).
• Experience managing purchasing across multiple geographic markets or divisions.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CSCMP, CPSM, PMP).

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The compensation range for this role is influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to skills, experience, qualifications, and geographic location. Thomas James Homes is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.