About this role
About PrimerPrimer is a growing network of K–8 schools restoring the timeless foundations of American education. Inspired by the original teaching primers that shaped a nation of readers, thinkers, and builders, our schools begin with what has always worked, and build for what lies ahead. Close-knit learning environments. Skilled educators. A culture that takes kids seriously as learners and leaders.
Primers shaped the first 200 years of American children. Primer will ready them for the next.
About the RolePrimer is seeking an experienced Procurement Manager to establish and operate a scalable procurement function in support of our growing national school network. Reporting to the Head of Finance, this is a hands-on, individual-contributor role with end-to-end ownership of sourcing, purchasing workflows, and vendor management. You'll be our first dedicated procurement hire, responsible for building structure while maintaining speed and flexibility in a fast-growing environment.
This role will partner closely with Finance, Accounts Payable, Facilities, and Operations to drive disciplined purchasing, vendor standardization, and on-time delivery across a diverse set of spend categories, playing a critical part in improving cost discipline, reducing last-minute purchasing, and creating consistency as we scale.
ResponsibilitiesOwn procurement intake, demand planning, and purchase order execution across all departments and spend categories
Partner closely with Finance and Accounts Payable to ensure purchases align with approved budgets, accounting controls, and payment processes
Establish and maintain lightweight procurement workflows, intake processes, and purchasing standards to support consistency and financial controls without slowing operations
Lead procurement planning for new school launches, annual refreshes, and mid-year needs across the campus lifecycle
Develop and maintain standardized bills of materials (BOMs) for each stage of campus operations, spanning instructional supplies, furniture, technology, and equipment
Drive vendor consolidation and bulk purchasing strategies by sourcing and negotiating with commercial suppliers to improve pricing, reliability, and service levels
Transition organizational spend (>90% target) from retail or ad hoc purchasing to standardized, commercial vendor relationships through preferred vendor programs
Own procurement and contract administration for curriculum and instructional vendors, including books, software, and subscription-based services
Partner with the education team to source, negotiate, issue purchase orders, and manage renewals for curriculum providers in alignment with academic and budgetary priorities
Monitor vendor performance, manage relationships, and drive continuous improvement in procurement efficiency and cost savings
What we’re looking for4+ years of progressive experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or vendor management within an asset-heavy or multi-site organization (education experience is a plus but not required)
Demonstrated experience supporting facilities, real estate, or operations-driven purchasing categories with comfort owning the full procurement lifecycle
Strong working knowledge of Excel and experience working within ERP and spend-management tools (e.g., NetSuite, Ramp, or similar)
Proven stakeholder-management skills with the ability to balance end-user needs while enforcing budget discipline and procurement standards
Comfortable operating as a team-of-one and energized by building structure where little exists
Excited to own a broad and diverse purchasing portfolio across multiple spend categories with a hands-on approach that blends strategy with day-to-day execution
Why this role may not be a fitIf you prefer working within an established procurement team with defined processes rather than building a function from the ground up
If you're seeking deep specialization in a single subdomain (e.g., construction-only, equipment-only, or software-only procurement) rather than managing diverse spend categories
If you prefer a purely strategic role over one that requires hands-on, day-to-day execution and operational ownership
If you're looking for a role with direct reports or management responsibilities in the near term (this will be an individual contributor role for the next 12–18 months)
If you're uncomfortable with ambiguity and prefer highly structured environments with established workflows and clear precedents
Primer is a mission-first company. We believe our mission is the highest-leverage way we can create positive change. In service of that, we keep work centered on mission execution and avoid social or political activism at work that’s unrelated to the mission. If that energizes you, we’d love to see you apply.