Job Description

MCWANE DUCTILE

PURCHASING MANAGER

Are you a firm, fair, and consistent leader? Do you stand your ground while remaining likeable and approachable? In the world of purchasing, supply chain, and people, do you know how to build lasting relationships and drive meaningful progress? If you can lead people, improve processes, and navigate complexity with confidence, we want to talk to you.

Our ideal Purchasing Manager leads with:

• Team-first execution: You’re a true player-coach, willing to get your hands dirty, empower your team, and model accountability. Whether mentoring, analyzing data, or jumping in to get the job done, you lead by example and bring others along with you.
• Initiative: You’re a self-starter and a doer. Adaptable, resourceful, and proactive, you don’t wait to be told - you take the reins. Your ownership mindset is backed by experience and a servant leadership style that motivates others to follow your lead.
• Continuous improvement: You’re committed, curious, and always learning. Whether improving yourself or your processes, you’re driven to analyze, reflect, and follow through. You balance urgency with emotional intelligence, making thoughtful moves that bring your team and stakeholders along for the ride.
• Solutions-oriented leadership: You thrive in the details, balancing cost, timing, specs, and compliance without losing sight of the big picture. You’re technical enough to understand how things work, savvy enough to negotiate smartly, and experienced enough to guide others through change. You ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and solve problems that matter.

As our Purchasing Manager, you’re as much a people person as you are a systems thinker. You love the mechanics of how things work - tools, processes, and supply systems alike - and you know how to apply that understanding in an industrial environment. You understand that trust is earned, and that real progress happens when people feel heard, valued, and included in the process. Whether you're saving money, mentoring a buyer, or leading a systems upgrade, you find energy in complexity and satisfaction in impact.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain a team atmosphere within the purchasing department, fostering a goal-oriented culture built on trust, urgency, and collaboration
• Build cross-functional relationships throughout the organization, developing trust and credibility across departments and levels
• Spend time in key departments to understand internal workflows, stakeholder needs, and how purchasing impacts the broader operation
• Document and streamline purchasing processes, conducting gap analysis and gaining alignment on best practices that are clear, practical, and followed by all
• Understand the raw materials market and stay informed on industry trends to support informed, strategic purchasing decisions
• Optimize lead times, onboard new suppliers when needed, and improve continuity through second sourcing and vendor diversification
• Manage vendor performance and internal compliance, reducing risk and ensuring purchasing decisions reflect long-term priorities
• Lead inventory control initiatives, including system setup, reporting tools, and proactive alignment with production and finance
• Play a key role in the company’s system migration and supply chain transformation efforts, bringing both structure and team buy-in
• Identify opportunities for improvement, lead change thoughtfully, and earn support through clear communication and practical solutions
• Communicate effectively across all levels of the organization—from union to corporate—adapting your leadership approach as needed
• Coach, develop, and hold direct reports accountable, fostering a respectful, high-performance environment rooted in trust and growth
• Oversee strategic purchasing for scrap and raw materials, applying a disciplined, value-focused approach to sourcing decisions

** This is a full-time, on-site position requiring weekend availability, based out of Coshocton, OH. Relocation package available. **

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 5+ years of purchasing experience
• 5+ years of leadership experience, including managing teams of 3–5 direct reports
• Experience implementing change, such as new software, system upgrades, or process improvements
• Experience managing multi-million-dollar inventory and vendor relationships
• Proven success in vendor management, including contract negotiation and compliance
• Proficient with purchasing or supply chain software, with strong Excel skills

Preferred

• Strongly prefer experience in a heavy industrial manufacturing environment
• 10+ years of combined purchasing experience and/or formal education in a related field
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Certifications such as CPIM, CSCP, CPSM, CPP, or CPPM
• Experience with vendor-managed inventory programs
• Power BI experience

Desired

• Experience with international buying and global supplier markets
• Experience working in a unionized environment

THE COMPANY – McWane Ductile

McWane Ductile, a division of McWane Inc., has been an industry leader in the manufacture of water distribution and infrastructure products since 1921. With three U.S. foundries, McWane Ductile offers superior service while supplying Ductile iron pipe across North America and beyond, all while maintaining an unwavering commitment to safety and quality. Through continued innovation, it is our goal to meet the customer needs and industry demands of the future in order to Build Iron Strong Utilities for Generations.

WHY WORK WITH US?

McWane Ductile is committed to being a safe workplace for team members, providing high-quality products to our customers, and being a good neighbor in our communities. Here, you’ll join a team that is resilient, adaptable, and proud of the work we do. We don’t stand still. We continue to grow, improve, and take on new challenges every day. With 115 years of history and a deeply rooted culture of trust and empowerment, we’re Iron Strong for a reason!

• Continuous learning opportunities
• Accountability for decision-making
• Open-door policy at all levels
• Emphasis on safety
• Multi-generational workforce with long-term employees
• Strong focus on culture initiatives
• Collaboration with unions
• Community activism and engagement: top United Way giver 5 years in a row, active in schools, parks, and local boards
• Purpose-driven work: providing essential clean water transportation products
• Utilization of recycled materials
• Opportunities for advancement and career exploration within the organization
• Support for youth through internships and co-op programs with local schools
• A culture of appreciation, trust, and empowered decision-making
• A fast-paced, ever-changing environment where no two days are the same

OUR CORE VALUES

• Safety: People First
• Leadership: I am Always on Stage
• Accountability: Lead Myself Well
• Excellence: Always Working to be Better
• Trust: The Speed of Trust
• Teamwork: Help Each Other Be Great
• Communication: Candid, Clear & Constructive
• Environment: Protect our Communities

Benefits: Health, Vision, and Dental Plan, PTO, 401(k) match, Life Insurance

Salary: $90k – $110k

Join our team and be part of something Iron Strong. Apply now!

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