SEEKING
We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Purchasing Manager to lead our Purchasing and Estimating Department. Reporting to the Vice President of Production, you will lead the team of Purchasing Estimators and Purchasing Assistants, ensuring every home is accurately estimated, purchased, and released on time, within approved budgets, and according to established specifications. You’ll oversee job documentation, coordinate the customer design-to-purchase handoff, manage trade-partner onboarding, and work closely with Production, Sales, Accounting, and Construction to maintain cost control, accuracy, and efficiency throughout the homebuilding process.
OUR WORK CULTURE
Mission Statement: WestWind Homes fulfills families' dreams by creating an exceptional home ownership experience with extraordinary customer service. Since 1993 and over two decades, WestWind Homes has been building award-winning homes in vibrant communities. We deliver quality and craftsmanship in every home we build.
Our 7 Beliefs of doing Business Gods Way:
Care: We will strive to demonstrate care for our dedicated employees by creating incentive opportunities for our workforce and investing in their personal, spiritual, and professional growth.
Respect: We value racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity and respect the right of all employees to maintain a personal belief or faith while in turn respecting and adhering to the basic principles and policies that guide our culture.
Integrity: We will seek to “optimize” rather than “maximize” profits by operating under biblical principles; considering customer loyalty, fair and just service and the ability to positively impact our community.
Servanthood: We strive to model a Godly Corporation by serving our customer’s needs as exemplified by the True Servant, Jesus Christ.
Stewardship: We commit to steward the resources entrusted to us without exploiting their sources, producing a fair return for our investors, and returning a tithe to God for their use.
Diligence: We seek to provide the benefits, value, and service our customers want by continually and creatively solving complex production and distribution problems with excellence.
Balance: We Believe in Balance of Work and personal life while maintaining extra-ordinary effectiveness and a 40–50-hour maximum work week.
OBJECTIVES
Lead the Purchasing and Estimating Department so every home is estimated, optioned, purchased, and released on time, at the approved cost, and to the approved specification. Own job documentation, the customer design-to-purchase handoff, trade-partner onboarding, and the cost interface with Production, Sales, Accounting, and Construction.
JOB DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES & AUTHORITIES:
Daily
• Host the purchasing huddle and, as needed, estimating or release workshops.
• Review work direct reports produce for accuracy.
• Clear purchase orders, variance purchase orders, and release holds that are blocking starts or trades.
Weekly
• Update master model and option budgets.
• Submit completed jobs to Accounting & Production on the published cutoff.
• Update the manual inventory-status report.
• Hold 1:1s with direct reports.
Monthly
• Vendor cost analysis and financial review with Production and Accounting.
• Selections Center Evaluations, remove discontinued samples & ensure clean environment.
Quarterly
• Incentive-comp payouts, after Managing Partner approval.
• Market-conditions and merchandise-cost report.
Annual
• Department budget.
• Performance evaluations.
• Preferred-vendor and agreement review.
Duties and Authority
People
• Hire, coach, and separate purchasing staff under company policy. Plan work, resolve problems, and hold the team to the purchasing process.
• Own the department incentive plans and present them for Managing Partner approval. Conduct quarterly check-ins and the annual review.
Estimating and master data
• Create and maintain accurate master parent budgets, master child budgets, master options budgets, trade & material pricing in MarkSystems (or the current estimating system), aligned to cost codes.
• Turn customer selections and CAD revisions into a priced, buildable package inside the approved square-footage and option rules. Price change orders on the published turnaround.
• Keep takeoffs current for slab, flatwork, framing, cornice, roofing, and finishes. Reconcile quantities before the PO is released.
Procurement and trade partners
• Represent the company in supplier and trade negotiations: price, payment terms, delivery, quality, warranty, and long-term price locks.
• Own scopes of work and vendor agreements with the department heads who use the trade. Bid, award, and rebid on a set cycle.
• Onboard trades: W-9, insurance certificates, lien-waiver practice, safety expectations, and Spanish/English communication where the crew requires it.
• Maintain a preferred-vendor list and a tested alternate for critical materials (concrete, lumber, trusses, windows, HVAC, roofing, masonry).
• Watch lead times, allocations, and substitutions. No substitution ships to a lot without written approval against the spec.
Job cost and release
• Run the internal release process and post package-milestone completion in BuilderMT.
• Issue purchase orders and requisitions for material, labor, and equipment. Approve bid conditions and award.
• Hold purchase-price variance to the target agreed with Production (see note: confirm whether the target is 0.5% or 0.05%). Investigate variances over the threshold before the next start.
• Schedule deliveries to the lot. Coordinate surplus return, restock, and disposal.
• Support warranty material returns and back-charges when a trade or supplier misses the scope.
South Texas operating conditions
• Price and buy for post-tension slabs, flatwork, windstorm roofing and bracing, and high-SEER cooling sized for Valley and Laredo heat.
• Account for concrete short-loads, hot-weather placement, and supplier plant distance on Laredo versus Rio Grande Valley jobs.
• Keep sales-tax exemption certificates current on material POs.
• Plan around border-market lead times and bilingual trade communication.
Knowledge and Skills
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or equivalent experience approved by the Vice President of Production.
• Five years in residential purchasing, estimating, or production control. Production-builder experience preferred.
• Working competence in AutoCAD (2018 or newer) and BuilderMT or equivalent.
• Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• Able to negotiate and to write a scope of work a superintendent can enforce.
• Bilingual English and Spanish, sufficient to run a trade meeting and review a scope with a crew.
• Valid driver license. Occasional travel between communities & divisions.
KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or equivalent experience approved by the Vice President of Production.
• Five years in residential purchasing, estimating, or production control. Production-builder experience preferred.
• Working competence in AutoCAD (2018 or newer) and BuilderMT or equivalent.
• Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• Able to negotiate and to write a scope of work a superintendent can enforce.
• Bilingual English and Spanish, sufficient to run a trade meeting and review a scope with a crew.
• Valid driver license. Occasional travel between communities & divisions.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Must be able to occasionally lift-up to 15 pounds.
Must be able to access all areas of the facility to determine company needs.
Must be able to legally drive vehicles in the USA.
BENEFITS
Health Insurance, Paid Time Off, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, 401K
Additional Notes about this Position
Reports directly to: Vice President of Production