About this role
Wesgar Inc. is a premier supplier of precision sheet metal components and value-added services to customers throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico. We have grown to be British Columbia's largest precision sheet metal manufacturer, supplying the Electronics, Printing, Medical Device, Power Switching and Test/Measurement industries. At Wesgar, we believe our employees are the key component to producing quality products which in turn allows us to offer our customers with complete solutions. We are seeking an operations-focused Purchasing Manager to lead the purchasing function, supplier management, and materials procurement process in a fast-paced, high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) environment. The ideal candidate will bring strong ERP/MRP discipline, practical manufacturing purchasing experience, and the leadership ability to manage buyers, supplier performance, material availability, and procurement priorities across the business. Key Responsibilities ERP Utilization Own and enforce effective use of the ERP/MRP system across the purchasing team, ensuring purchase orders, supplier lead times, due dates, pricing, delivery commitments, and inventory data are accurate and current. Use ERP data, shortage reports, open order reports, and demand signals to prioritize purchasing activity and provide clear visibility to production, finance, inventory, shipping/logistics, and management. Review purchasing parameters, supplier lead times, reorder points, minimum order quantities, and related master data to improve procurement accuracy and reduce avoidable shortages or excess inventory. Timely Procurement & Follow-Up Ensure the purchasing team places purchase orders on time, follows up with suppliers proactively, and escalates critical shortages, late deliveries, or capacity constraints before they impact production. Monitor open orders, supplier commitments, material shortages, and inventory risks; direct corrective action with buyers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders as required. Remain hands-on when necessary for urgent supplier issues, critical expedites, production-impacting shortages, or complex purchasing decisions. Supplier & Vendor Management Identify and evaluate suppliers capable of meeting HMLV requirements. Negotiate pricing and service terms to secure favourable agreements. Develop and maintain a reliable supplier base that supports Wesgar’s quality, delivery, cost, and flexibility requirements. Implement supplier performance tracking, including on-time delivery, responsiveness, quality issues, lead-time reliability, pricing competitiveness, and escalation history. Lead supplier reviews and corrective action discussions where performance does not meet business needs. Production Scheduling Alignment Represent purchasing in production planning and scheduling discussions to identify material risks, supplier constraints, and priority conflicts early. Direct purchasing priorities in response to schedule changes, customer pull-ins, engineering changes, supplier delays, and material availability issues. Communicate realistic material availability dates and trade-offs to production and management so scheduling decisions are based on accurate information. Team Management Lead, coach, and develop the purchasing team, setting clear expectations for order placement, follow-up discipline, supplier communication, ERP accuracy, and internal responsiveness. Assign workload, monitor performance, resolve priority conflicts, and create a culture of urgency, accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement. Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance reviews, training, and coaching to strengthen buyer capability and reduce dependency on individual knowledge. Establish purchasing procedures and escalation paths so the team operates consistently rather than reactively. Cost Control