Purchasing Assistant Jobs in Northbrook, IL (NOW HIRING)

Who We Are
HOH Water Technology is a third-generation, family-owned water treatment company proudly celebrating more than 58 years in business. Our success has always been about more than water treatment-it is about investing in people and creating lasting impact for our clients, coworkers, and community. We believe our people are our greatest competitive advantage, and we have built a culture centered around our Core Values of Accountability, Creativity, Teamwork, and Service.
About the Role
This is more than a data-entry role. As our Purchasing Agent, you will be the connection point between vendors, our Orders team, Finance, sales representatives, warehouse teams, and customers. You will create and release purchase orders, verify that every detail is right, keep accurate shipment information moving through our systems, and follow up until open questions are resolved.
The work is high-volume and varied. On a typical week, the team may process approximately 150 purchase orders. You may begin the day working through vendor acknowledgements and updates, then shift quickly to releasing orders, researching an old open PO, locating proof of delivery, or correcting a shipping destination before an order moves forward.
The best person for this role enjoys being a detective. You do not simply process what is in front of you-you understand how the people, locations, products, vendors, and systems connect, notice when something does not make sense, ask the right questions, and follow through until it is correct.
What We Offer
Competitive Compensation: $22-$28 per hour, based on experience.
Comprehensive Benefits: Medical and dental insurance with generous employer contributions, annual HSA contributions ($1,200 family / $800 individual), 401(k) with company match, life insurance, and more.
Generous Time Off: 15 PTO days and 16 paid holidays, including extended holiday pay at the end of the year.
Profit Sharing Bonus: Company profit-sharing bonus; the 2026 budget projection is approximately 3-4 weeks of additional pay.
Hybrid Flexibility: A company laptop and a hybrid schedule. This role currently works from our Palatine office at least two days per week, with additional in-office time expected during onboarding and training.
Engaging Culture: Caring leaders who invest in people. HOH earned a 4.69/5 Gallup Employee Engagement Q12 score, and we celebrate wins, give back, and create meaningful connections through team and company events.
Career Growth: Hands-on training, employee development, continuing education reimbursement, and the opportunity to learn how purchasing connects across a growing business.
You'll Love This Role If...
You naturally connect the dots. You want to understand how an order, vendor, warehouse, customer location, and internal team fit together. That broader view helps you catch errors others might miss.
You are a fact finder. When information is missing or something does not look right, you investigate. You ask questions, verify details, and do not make assumptions just to move an order along.
You follow through relentlessly. An unanswered vendor email or aging open PO stays on your radar. You build reliable ways to track outstanding items and keep following up until you have an answer.
You care about accuracy. Shipping addresses, products, quantities, pricing, freight, ship dates, and order status all matter to you. Repetitive work does not cause you to lose focus.
You adapt without losing control. Priorities and volume change from day to day. You can move between email, phone calls, systems, and urgent requests while keeping the full workload organized.
You communicate with confidence and care. You are comfortable building relationships with vendors and working regularly with sales representatives, warehouse teams, Orders, Finance, and other internal partners.
You are curious and coachable. You ask when you do not know, welcome feedback, and understand that learning HOH's systems and business relationships is essential to becoming successful in the role.
What You'll Be Doing
Purchase Orders & System Accuracy
• Create manual purchase orders and release system-generated purchase orders to vendors across multiple HOH locations.
• Review each PO before release to verify the vendor, product, quantity, cost, shipping destination, warehouse designation, and special shipping instructions.
• Review vendor order acknowledgements and update pricing, expected ship dates, tracking details, freight charges, shipment confirmations, and other order information.
• Maintain accurate, complete purchasing records so order status and delivery information can be located quickly.
• Receive designated drop-ship purchase orders in the system so the billing team can invoice completed orders.
Vendor Follow-Up & Problem Solving
• Send purchase orders and revised purchase orders to vendors and confirm receipt when needed.
• Monitor open and aging POs; pursue missing acknowledgements, ETAs, invoices, tracking information, and proof of delivery.
• Investigate discrepancies or delays, coordinate corrections, and keep the right people informed until the issue is resolved.
• Build responsive, professional vendor relationships that make it easier to get accurate answers and keep orders moving.
Cross-Functional Communication
• Provide timely order, delivery, tracking, and proof-of-delivery updates to sales representatives, warehouse personnel, Orders, Finance, and customers as appropriate.
• Confirm unclear order details with the person who entered or requested the order instead of assuming.
• Partner closely with HOH team members across locations to understand how their products, warehouses, and purchasing needs differ.
• Support the Orders and Finance/Admin teams, assist with incoming calls as needed, and participate in weekly Production and Finance/Admin meetings.
What Success Looks Like
• Purchase orders are accurate, complete, and released on time.
• Open orders are actively monitored, and missing vendor information is followed up on before it becomes a larger issue.
• Order acknowledgements, costs, ship dates, tracking, receipts, and delivery records are current and easy to find.
• Vendors and internal teams receive clear, timely communication and trust you to close the loop.
• You understand how HOH's people, locations, and systems connect well enough to catch inconsistencies and prevent avoidable delays.
• Within approximately the first month, you are becoming comfortable with the purchasing system, core workflows, and common order types while continuing to ask thoughtful questions.
Requirements
What We're Looking For
• At least 2 years of experience in purchasing, procurement support, order management, supply chain coordination, or a closely related role.
• Strong attention to detail, systems thinking, fact-finding, and follow-through.
• Ability to manage a high-volume workload with changing priorities and repetitive processes while maintaining accuracy.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication and confidence following up with vendors and internal partners.
• Moderate proficiency in Microsoft Excel and comfort learning enterprise purchasing/order-management systems.
• A self-motivated, adaptable, collaborative approach and openness to questions, coaching, and feedback.
• Reliable transportation and the ability to report to our Palatine, Illinois office at least two days per week, with additional in-office time during onboarding and training.
• A distraction-free home workspace when using remote-work options.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States and ability to pass required background checks and drug screening.
Why HOH?
At HOH, your work will have a visible impact. The accuracy and persistence you bring to Purchasing helps our teams serve clients well, helps Finance bill efficiently, and helps products arrive where they need to be, when they need to be there. You will join a company that invests in its people, values strong relationships, and believes every role contributes to our lasting impact.
If you enjoy connecting the dots, keeping details organized, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks, we would love to meet you.
HOH Water Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Salary Description
$22-$28/hour