Strategic Purchasing Manager Jobs in East Rutherford, NJ

A rapidly growing healthcare procurement and expense-management organization is helping long-term care, skilled nursing, assisted living, and post-acute care facilities operate more efficiently and protect their margins. The company works at the intersection of healthcare providers, suppliers, manufacturers, and Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), helping facilities access better pricing, stronger vendor relationships, and more effective purchasing strategies. By leveraging purchasing volume, vendor partnerships, industry expertise, and detailed expense analysis, the organization helps healthcare operators reduce unnecessary spending while maintaining the quality and availability of the products and services they rely on every day.

With a growing network of healthcare facilities and vendor relationships across numerous purchasing categories, the company is continuing to expand its capabilities and is looking for a sharp, energetic procurement professional to play a meaningful role in that growth.

The Director of Purchasing will be responsible for managing and optimizing the company's purchasing and vendor relationships, with a particular focus on maximizing value through GPOs, supplier negotiations, contract management, and strategic sourcing. This is an excellent opportunity for a high-energy purchasing professional who has several years of experience working with vendors and understands how purchasing organizations and GPOs operate, but is ready for a larger opportunity with greater ownership and visibility.

This is not a purely transactional purchasing position. The ideal candidate will be commercially minded, polished, analytical, and comfortable building relationships with vendors while identifying opportunities to improve pricing, service, product availability, and overall purchasing performance. The role offers significant room for growth for someone who wants to build a career in healthcare procurement and become a key member of a growing organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage purchasing activities across a broad range of healthcare and operational supply categories.
• Develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with vendors, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and GPO partners.
• Evaluate existing vendor agreements and identify opportunities for improved pricing, terms, service levels, and overall value.
• Leverage GPO contracts and aggregated purchasing power to maximize savings and purchasing efficiency.
• Research and evaluate new vendors and alternative suppliers when better opportunities exist.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, rebates, terms, delivery arrangements, and other commercial agreements.
• Monitor vendor performance, pricing, availability, service levels, and contract compliance.
• Analyze purchasing data and spending patterns to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas of inefficiency.
• Work closely with internal teams and clients to understand purchasing requirements and develop practical procurement solutions.
• Conduct vendor comparisons and competitive sourcing exercises to ensure the organization is receiving the best available value.
• Stay current on vendor pricing, market conditions, product availability, industry developments, and procurement trends.
• Help develop and implement purchasing strategies that improve margins while maintaining product quality and service.
• Maintain accurate purchasing, vendor, contract, and pricing information.
• Assist with developing procurement policies, procedures, reporting, and performance metrics.
• Serve as a knowledgeable resource on purchasing, vendor management, GPO structures, and supply-chain opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to expand the company's vendor network and strengthen existing supplier partnerships.
• Collaborate with leadership on strategic purchasing initiatives and broader business-development opportunities.
• Continuously look for ways to make the purchasing process more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or vendor-management experience.
• Strong understanding of vendor relationships, supplier negotiations, purchasing processes, and procurement fundamentals.
• Experience working with or around Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) is strongly preferred.
• Healthcare, long-term care, skilled nursing, medical supplies, healthcare distribution, or related industry experience is highly valued.
• Strong understanding of contracts, pricing structures, purchasing agreements, and vendor economics.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate effectively and build productive long-term vendor relationships.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate purchasing data and identify opportunities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Professional, polished presentation and the ability to interact confidently with vendors, partners, and senior leadership.
• Energetic, proactive, and entrepreneurial approach to work.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing environment where priorities can evolve quickly.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to balance cost, quality, service, and operational requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Excel, and standard procurement/business systems.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, or a related field is preferred but not required.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is someone who has already built a solid foundation in purchasing and understands how vendors, suppliers, contracts, and GPOs work, but doesn't want to remain in a routine purchasing role.

We're looking for someone young, energetic, ambitious, polished, and hungry for opportunity—a professional who wants to take on more responsibility, develop into a true procurement leader, and have a visible impact on a growing company. Someone who naturally takes ownership, enjoys negotiating and building relationships, and sees problems as opportunities to improve the business will thrive in this position.

Location & Compensation

• Location: Montvale, New Jersey
• Ideal candidate: Based in or within a reasonable commuting distance of Montvale, NJ
• Salary: $100,000–$150,000, commensurate with experience
• Opportunity for significant professional growth and increased responsibility within a growing organization.