Purchasing Manager

Position Summary

Adept Life Sciences is seeking an experienced Purchasing Manager to lead procurement for our nutraceutical and dietary supplement manufacturing operations. This role owns the sourcing and buying of raw materials, active ingredients, packaging, and components required to keep production running on schedule and within budget. The ideal candidate combines strong supplier-management skills with hands-on knowledge of the nutraceutical supply chain — including the quality, documentation, and regulatory expectations unique to dietary supplement production under cGMP. You will balance cost, quality, and continuity of supply while building resilient vendor relationships that support the company's growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end purchasing of raw materials, active and inactive ingredients, botanicals, excipients, packaging, and labeling components for supplement manufacturing (capsules, tablets, powders, softgels, and liquids).
• Source, qualify, and maintain a reliable supplier base; negotiate pricing, payment terms, lead times, and supply agreements to optimize total cost of ownership.
• Issue and manage purchase orders, confirm order acknowledgments, track deliveries, and proactively resolve shortages, delays, and discrepancies.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure all incoming materials meet specifications and are supported by required documentation — Certificates of Analysis (CoA), Certificates of Conformance, allergen and non-GMO statements, and supplier qualification records.
• Maintain accurate inventory levels using MRP/ERP planning; set reorder points, safety stock, and min/max levels to prevent stockouts while minimizing excess and expired inventory.
• Collaborate with Production, Planning, R&D, and Formulation teams to forecast demand, plan material requirements for new and existing products, and support new product launches.
• Monitor commodity markets and ingredient availability; identify risks and develop alternate or backup suppliers to safeguard continuity of supply.
• Support supplier audits, onboarding, and ongoing performance management using KPIs such as on-time delivery, quality acceptance rate, and cost variance.
• Ensure purchasing practices comply with FDA 21 CFR Part 111 (cGMP for dietary supplements), FSMA, and company quality policies.
• Identify and implement cost-savings, process-improvement, and supplier-consolidation initiatives; report savings and spend analytics to leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of two (2) years of purchasing or procurement experience within the nutraceutical, dietary supplement, or related FDA-regulated manufacturing industry (required).
• Working knowledge of nutraceutical raw materials, ingredients, and packaging, and of the documentation required to receive them (CoA, specifications, supplier qualification).
• Familiarity with cGMP requirements for dietary supplements (21 CFR Part 111) and quality-driven purchasing practices.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel for purchase orders, inventory planning, and spend analysis.
• Strong negotiation, vendor-management, and communication skills, with a proven record of managing supplier relationships and reducing cost.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage many active orders and priorities simultaneously.
• High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, or a related field preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three or more years of procurement experience in supplement or contract-manufacturing (CMO/CDMO) operations.
• Experience sourcing botanical extracts, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and specialty ingredients from domestic and international suppliers.
• Professional certification such as APICS CPIM/CSCP or ISM CPSM.
• Knowledge of import/customs documentation and international supplier logistics.