Supply Chain & Purchasing Specialist

States considered: Position Summary The Supply Chain & Purchasing Specialist owns site materials availability, inventory strategy, procurement execution, supplier performance management, and inbound logistics activities for raw materials, packaging components, and indirect materials. This position is accountable for ensuring uninterrupted material supply to support manufacturing operations while balancing inventory investment, service levels, supplier performance, and cost objectives. The role exercises independent judgment in establishing inventory planning parameters, negotiating supplier and transportation agreements within delegated authority, managing supply risks, and driving continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and materials management processes. This position serves as a key business partner to Operations, Quality, Finance, Planning, and Commercial teams and provides recommendations regarding inventory optimization, supplier strategies, service levels, and risk mitigation. The Supply Chain & Purchasing Specialist leads cross-functional initiatives, influences stakeholders without direct authority, and serves as the process owner for inventory planning, procurement governance, supplier performance management, and materials readiness activities. Decision Authority & Scope • Establish and maintain planning parameters including safety stock levels, reorder points, lead times, minimum order quantities, order multiples, and inventory policies. • Negotiate supplier pricing, freight costs, payment terms, and commercial agreements within delegated authority. • Determine material replenishment strategies and inventory positioning to support operational requirements and service level targets. • Approve expediting activities and transportation alternatives within established budget parameters. • Recommend sourcing strategies, supplier improvements, inventory optimization initiatives, and risk mitigation plans. • Lead supplier escalations, recovery plans, and corrective action activities. • Own inventory performance, supplier service levels, procurement effectiveness, and materials readiness metrics. Key Performance Indicators • Inventory Turns • Days of Supply (DOS) • Inventory Accuracy • Supplier On-Time Delivery • Supplier Scorecard Performance • Purchase Price Variance (PPV) • Expedite Spend • Material Availability to Production Schedule • Procurement Cycle Time • Service Level Performance Purchasing Strategy & Supplier Management Strategy & Optimization • Develop sourcing and supplier management strategies that support business objectives, inventory targets, and supply continuity requirements. • Evaluate sourcing alternatives including dual sourcing opportunities, approved alternate suppliers, lead time reduction initiatives, and inventory risk mitigation strategies. • Lead supplier performance management programs through scorecards, business reviews, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement initiatives. • Negotiate supplier pricing, commercial terms, transportation agreements, and service expectations to optimize total landed cost. • Monitor market conditions, supplier capacity constraints, and industry trends to proactively identify risks and opportunities. • Develop and maintain supplier relationship strategies to improve service levels, responsiveness, and operational performance. Operational Execution • Own end-to-end purchase order lifecycle execution and governance to ensure compliant, accurate, and timely procurement activities. • Ensure purchase orders are issued, monitored, and managed in alignment with inventory plans and production requirements. • Lead supplier recovery efforts when shortages, delays, quality issues, or service disruptions occur. • Establish controls and resolve systemic purchase order, receiving, and invoice discrepancies in partnership with Finance and Accounts Payable. • Maintain procurement master data, supplier records, contracts, and purchasing documentation within ERP systems. Inventory Strategy & Materials Management Strategy & Optimization • Own inventory strategy for raw materials, packaging components, and indirect materials. • Define inventory segmentation, service level policies, replenishment methodologies, and inventory targets in partnership with Operations and Finance. • Establish and govern planning master data including lead times, safety stock levels, reorder points, minimum order quantities, and order multiples. • Conduct regular audits of planning parameters to ensure alignment with demand patterns, supplier performance, and operational requirements. • Lead inventory risk assessments and develop mitigation plans for critical materials and supply chain vulnerabilities. • Analyze inventory performance and implement strategies to reduce excess inventory, obsolescence, stockouts, and working capital investment. Operational Execution • Monitor inventory health, consumption trends, replenishment requirements, and supplier performance. • Investigate inventory discrepancies and implement corrective actions to maintain inventory accuracy. • Support cycle count programs, physical inventories, inventory reconciliations, and inventory reporting activities. • Develop inventory forecasts and replenishment plans to support future business requirements. Materials Readiness & Batch Management Strategy & Optimization • Serve as the materials readiness lead for manufacturing operations by ensuring inventory strategies align with production requirements. • Analyze demand trends, forecast changes, supplier constraints, and inventory positions to identify risks that could impact production schedules. • Develop mitigation plans and recommend executive trade-off decisions related to inventory, cost, service, and supply risk. Operational Execution • Generate, maintain, and manage batch reports that support material readiness, inventory visibility, compliance requirements, and production execution. • Review production requirements and translate demand signals into actionable purchasing and replenishment plans. • Communicate material constraints, shortages, and recovery plans to cross-functional stakeholders. • Partner with Production, Planning, Quality Assurance, and Receiving teams to ensure material availability for manufacturing operations. Logistics & Transportation Management Strategy & Optimization • Develop inbound logistics strategies that support service, cost, inventory, and operational objectives. • Determine transportation routing, carrier utilization, and expedite decisions within established budget and service guidelines. • Monitor transportation performance and identify opportunities to reduce freight costs and improve service levels. • Develop contingency plans to mitigate transportation disruptions and supply chain risks. Operational Execution • Manage inbound transportation activities and supplier delivery schedules. • Resolve transportation issues, freight claims, carrier performance concerns, and delivery exceptions. • Monitor carrier performance metrics and implement corrective actions when required. • Ensure timely movement and receipt of materials to support operational requirements. Reporting, Analytics & Continuous Improvement • Own supply chain KPI governance, reporting cadence, metric definitions, and performance tracking processes. • Analyze purchasing spend, inventory investment, supplier performance, transportation costs, and service level performance. • Develop recommendations and business cases to support procurement, inventory, sourcing, and logistics initiatives. • Present performance trends, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to Supply Chain and Site Leadership teams. • Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on procurement effectiveness, inventory optimization, supplier performance, transportation efficiency, and operational excellence. • Identify opportunities for automation, process standardization, system enhancements, and reporting improvements. • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, governance processes, and best practices related to procurement, inventory planning, and supplier management. Leadership & Cross-Functional Influence • Lead cross-functional initiatives supporting inventory optimization, supply continuity, and operational performance. • Influence decision-making across Operations, Planning, Finance, Quality, and Commercial functions without direct reporting authority. • Provide training, guidance, and process expertise related to procurement, inventory management, supplier performance, and materials planning. • Serve as the site subject matter expert for inventory planning, procurement governance, and supplier management processes Industry & Supplier Engagement • Represent the company at supplier meetings, industry conferences, trade shows, and professional networking events. • Travel approximately 3–4 times annually to support supplier relationship management, industry events, benchmarking activities, and strategic business initiatives. • Maintain awareness of market trends, emerging technologies, and industry best practices to support continuous improvement and strategic sourcing initiatives. Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Logistics, or related field preferred. • 5+ years of progressive experience in procurement, inventory management, supply chain, logistics, manufacturing operations, or materials planning. • Experience managing inventory planning strategies, supplier relationships, procurement processes, and material replenishment programs. • Experience negotiating supplier agreements, pricing structures, transportation services, and commercial terms. • Experience with ERP systems, MRP planning tools, inventory management systems, and advanced Microsoft Excel applications. • Manufacturing environment experience strongly preferred. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities • Strong knowledge of procurement, inventory planning, materials management, logistics, and supply chain operations. • Ability to exercise independent judgment and make data-driven business decisions. • Strong analytical, financial, negotiation, and problem-solving capabilities. • Ability to influence stakeholders and lead initiatives without direct authority. • Strong supplier relationship management and performance improvement skills. • Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills. • Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. • High level of accountability, ownership, and business acumen. Physical Requirements • Ability to sit, stand, walk, and use standard office equipment for extended periods. • Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. • Ability to travel domestically approximately 3–4 times annually. • Ability to work within warehouse, manufacturing, and distribution environments as needed. California The US base salary range for this full-time position is $77,000 - $118,000 . Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the base pay target range for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This position is also eligible for short-term incentive compensation. In addition to compensation, Zoetis offers a comprehensive benefits package that supports the physical, emotional and financial wellbeing of our colleagues and their families including healthcare and insurance benefits beginning on day one, a 401K plan with a match and profit-sharing contribution from Zoetis, and 4 weeks of vacation. Visit to learn more. We offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which includes healthcare, dental coverage, and retirement savings benefits along with paid holidays, vacation and disability insurance. Full time Regular Colleague Any unsolicited resumes sent to Zoetis from a third party, such as an Agency recruiter, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Zoetis mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Zoetis employees, or to Zoetis resume database will be considered Zoetis property. Zoetis will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Zoetis will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This includes any Agency that is an approved/engaged vendor but does not have the appropriate approvals to be engaged on a search. Notice: Zoetis Recruiters will contact candidates via email from an address ending in @zoetis.com and may also initially connect with candidates through LinkedIn , including LinkedIn InMail. Zoetis does not use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other web-based/generic email domains to communicate about job opportunities, interviews, or offers of employment. If you receive a recruitment-related email message claiming to be from Zoetis that does not come from @zoetis.com , please treat it as suspicious. For your security, do not reply, click links, open attachments, share personal or financial information, or send money in response to unexpected or questionable recruitment communications. Zoetis is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status or any other protected classification. Disabled individuals are given an equal opportunity to use our online application system. We offer reasonable accommodations as an alternative if requested by an individual with a disability. Please contact Zoetis Colleague Services at to request an accommodation. Zoetis also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act. All applicants must possess or obtain authorization to work in the US for Zoetis. Zoetis retains sole and exclusive discretion to pursue sponsorship for the acquisition or maintenance of nonimmigrant status and employment eligibility, considering factors such as availability of qualified US workers. Individuals requiring sponsorship must disclose this fact. Please note that Zoetis seeks information related to job applications from candidates for jobs in the U.S. solely via the following: (1) our company website at site, or (2) via email to/from addresses using only the Zoetis domain of “@zoetis.com”. In addition, Zoetis does not use Google Hangout for any recruitment related activities. Any solicitation or request for information related to job applications with Zoetis via any other means and/or utilizing email addresses with any other domain should be disregarded. In addition, Zoetis will never ask candidates to make any type of personal financial investment related to gaining employment with Zoetis.