Director of Purchasing

Job Title: Director of Purchasing
Location: Westport, CT
Employment Type: Full Time
Salary Range: Competitive
Department: Accounting

About Us:
Maplewood Senior Living, is a leading operator of premier senior living communities across 5 states and Washington, D.C., featuring two distinguished brands: Maplewood and Inspir. Known nationally for innovation in the senior living space, Maplewood is a growing company dedicated to excellence in care, offering personalized and thoughtful services in independent living, assisted living and memory care.

Our success is built on a foundation of personalized, compassionate care and communities designed to enrich the quality of life for our residents. We foster a dynamic and supportive work environment that empowers our teams to excel, inspire, and make a meaningful impact every day. If you are a passionate about driving growth and innovation in senior living, Maplewood offers the opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking organization that values your expertise. Join us and help shape the future of senior living!

Position Summary: The Director of Purchasing will work to facilitate and contract all necessary goods and services needed to successfully operate each Maplewood Senior Living community, Inspir, and the Home Office. This position is responsible for researching, writing, editing, reviewing and producing proposals. The Director of Purchasing will work through a collaborative process with appropriate Department Head leaders, including identifying scope of work, conducting proper sourcing events, contracting, and documentation. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills, diligence in contract review, and independent decision-making capabilities to ensure efficient and cost-effective procurement strategies. Additionally, the Director of Purchasing must have a general understanding of commercial general liability insurance and certificate of insurance, ensuring vendor compliance and risk mitigation.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Management

• Execute the procurement process, education and strategy throughout the portfolio, in accordance with Maplewoods procedures, policies, and cost saving objectives
• Responsible for all phases of the proposal process for RFPs; project management from qualification to completion and delivery.
• Facilitate the evaluation and vendor negotiation process to promote standardization of goods and services across the portfolio.
• Develop vendor management principles and execute across all functional areas.
• Lead communication aspects of proposal, including scheduling and vetting calls and delivering timelines with list of action items to all appropriate Executive Leaders.
• Identify purchasing inefficiencies and resolve issues to optimize procurement operations.
• Evaluate trends in purchasing data, identifying opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement.
• Make independent, data-driven decisions to enhance purchasing efficiency while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers to assist in ensuring responsiveness and reliability
• Collaborate with operations, and accounting teams to ensure strategy specific content is complete, accurate, and timely.

Contract, Insurance, and Risk Management

• Diligently review proposals and supplier agreements to identify inconsistencies, hidden fees, or unfavorable terms.
• Initiate all contract negotiations while collaboratively working with Legal team to conclude agreed upon contract parameters, deliverables and key performance indicators to mitigate potential liabilities in procurement contracts and agreements.
• Effectively ensure that contract terms, conditions, and pricing structures are properly documented and followed.
• Work closely with legal and compliance teams to ensure contracts adhere to regulatory and company policies, and identify red flags or potential discrepancies in purchasing agreements to proactively address potential purchasing risks
• Develop a thorough understanding of Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance and certificates of insurance to ensure vendors meet compliance requirements.
• Monitor and enforce vendor compliance with contractual liability requirements, ensuring necessary insurance coverage is in place.
• Maintain and organize records of contracts, agreements, and procurement activities to properly maintain accountability and transparency

Inventory & Operational Oversight

• Train and support community staff in managing inventory levels and procurement best practices.
• Ensure purchasing processes align with budgetary goals and operational requirements.
• Utilize DSSI (Direct Supply) software to streamline purchasing and monitor procurement trends.
• Establish strong, collaborative relationships with key department head leaders to strategically develop, implement and optimize vendor management processes, tools and policies to achieve performance objectives.
• Level reviewer within invoice workflow, ensuring expenses are approved and within budgets.
• Manage any necessary supply inventory at off-site location(s) including tracking of PPE and infection control inventory from the communities and maintaining inventory at off-site location(s). Coordinate logistics for dissemination/distribution of supplies to communities as needed.
• Other related duties, as required.

Education/Experience/Licensure/Certification

• Associates or Bachelors degree in Purchasing, Supply Chain Management, Production/Operations Management, Engineering or equivalent business experience.
• 3+ years progressive and demonstrated knowledge of purchasing/sourcing process and procedures preferably for a mid to large size organization
• 5+ years recent experience related to healthcare and/or assisted living industry.
• Strong contract analysis, negotiation skills, and effective decision-making abilities.
• Diligence in reviewing agreements, proposals, and purchasing trends
• Ability to meet deadlines using strong organizational and time management skills
• Good understanding of product needs in an operating community.
• Solid track record meeting substantial material cost reduction goals.
• NAPM (APP, CPM) or APICS (CPIM, CIRM) certification preferred. These certifications still need to be confirmed and how they will be obtained paid for etc.
• Possess advanced computer skills, ideally with experience using Windows-based PC programs including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including strong writing and editing skills to effectively collaborate with vendors, Legal team, and Department Heads
• Strong project management skills with high attention to detail and ability to identify contractual risks.
• Ability to juggle and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously.
• Self-Starter, highly motivated to work both independently and as a team member to accomplish performance objectives.
• Critical thinker and a quick learner.

Why You'll Love working for Us:

Innovative Culture: We are a group of smart, forward-thinking and compassionate pros dedicated to enhancing the lives of our residents through service excellence, creative and meaningful programs and continuous innovation.

HEART: We recognize Humor, Empathy, Autonomy, Respect and Trust as core values that guide our work.

Growth Opportunities: We promote and foster career development and continuous learning.

Work-Life Balance: We value autonomy, flexibility and a family-friendly supportive workplace.

Competitive Comp and Benefits: We offer a competitive compensation package, bonus, health insurance, 401K with match, paid time off, and more. Inspir believes in rewarding top talent and dedication, depending upon years of experience and commitment to the company. Inspir strives for transparency, reviewing pay periodically, to be the industry leader in recruiting talent like you!

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractors legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)