Who Should Apply for This Tomball Purchasing and Inventory Manager Job?
Published on: Nov 5, 2026
Job ID 14394549. Posted November 5, 2026, and actively recruiting. Recruited by Frontline Source Group.
An established manufacturing and distribution company in Tomball, Texas, is hiring a hands-on Purchasing and Inventory Manager on a direct hire basis, with a base salary up to 80,000 dollars, two weeks of PTO plus holidays, and a Monday through Friday schedule. Frontline Source Group is leading the search, and direct hire placements carry its 5-Year Placement Warranty.
TL;DR: Direct hire, on site in Tomball, TX. You will place about 10 to 20 purchase orders a day, set reorder points and safety stock, run cycle counts, and supervise a small inventory, shipping, and receiving team. Manufacturing experience, hands-on inventory planning, ERP skills, and an associate degree are required. Ten years in a manufacturing plant is preferred, but not ten years as a manager. Apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and reference Job ID 14394549.
What does this Tomball purchasing and inventory manager job involve?
This is a working manager role. You own the buying and the inventory for a company that both manufactures and distributes product, so you are planning raw materials for production and finished goods for customers at the same time. Sales, production, accounting, vendors, and leadership all depend on your numbers, and you will be the one who keeps materials flowing without tying up too much cash in stock.
Purchasing and vendor management
- Create and manage about 10 to 20 purchase orders a day, accurately and on time
- Work with vendors on pricing, availability, delivery schedules, and problems
- Evaluate supplier price increases and purchasing alternatives, then make recommendations
- Find ways to lower purchasing costs across multiple manufacturing and distribution product lines
Inventory planning and control
- Monitor inventory levels, analyze material usage, and set reorder points and safety stock
- Use historical demand, supplier lead times, and inventory trends to prevent shortages
- Oversee cycle counts, material tracking, and inventory adjustments
- Keep purchasing, inventory, pricing, and material records accurate in the ERP system
Team leadership and process improvement
- Supervise and support the employees who handle inventory picking, shipping, and receiving
- Work with sales, production, accounting, and leadership on material availability
- Identify and carry out process improvements that strengthen purchasing and inventory operations
What qualifications does the employer want?
Required qualifications
- Experience in a manufacturing environment with exposure to purchasing, inventory management, materials planning, or related supply chain work
- A practical grasp of inventory planning, including reorder points, safety stock, lead times, and material requirements
- Experience writing purchase orders, working with suppliers, and managing material availability
- The ability to analyze inventory data and make buying decisions based on demand and operations
- Experience with ERP or inventory management systems
- Strong organization, analysis, and problem solving
- The ability to work independently, juggle priorities, and communicate across departments
- An associate degree in supply chain management or a related field
Preferred qualifications
- 10 or more years of overall experience in a manufacturing plant or manufacturing environment (not 10 years in purchasing or inventory management)
- Previous work as a purchasing supervisor, inventory supervisor, materials planner, senior buyer, purchasing manager, or similar
- Experience supervising employees in inventory, warehouse, or manufacturing settings
- Experience calculating safety stock for products with variable demand
- Experience with material requirements planning (MRP), inventory optimization, and purchasing cost analysis
- A bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, operations, or a related field
- Experience supporting both raw materials and finished goods or distribution inventory
Do you need 10 years as a purchasing manager?
No. The employer is clear on this. The 10 years refers to time spent in a manufacturing plant overall, not time with a manager title. A senior buyer, materials planner, or inventory supervisor who grew up on a plant floor and has built real purchasing and planning skills along the way can be a strong fit. What matters most is that you can independently size inventory, calculate reorder points and safety stock, run purchasing, and keep production supplied.
How do reorder points and safety stock work in this role?
These two numbers are the heart of the job, and you should be ready to talk through them in the interview. A reorder point tells you when to buy: it is the stock level that should trigger a new purchase order so the material arrives before you run out. The common formula is average daily usage multiplied by supplier lead time in days, plus safety stock.
Safety stock is the cushion for the things you cannot control, such as a demand spike or a late shipment. A simple method takes maximum daily usage times maximum lead time, then subtracts average daily usage times average lead time. Planners working with products that have variable demand often use a statistical method instead, which multiplies a service-level factor by the variability in demand over the lead time. The employer specifically lists safety stock for variable-demand products as a plus, so come prepared with an example of a part you planned, how you set its cushion, and what happened.
Example: a component is used at an average of 40 units a day, the supplier lead time is 10 days, and you hold 120 units of safety stock. The reorder point is 40 times 10 plus 120, or 520 units. When on-hand inventory drops to 520, you place the order.
What does this purchasing and inventory manager job pay?
The base salary is up to 80,000 dollars a year, and benefits include multiple health and insurance plan options, two weeks of paid time off, and paid holidays.
For context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a May 2025 median of 81,670 dollars for purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents as a group, 77,710 dollars for buyers and purchasing agents, and 77,890 dollars for buyers and purchasing agents in manufacturing. BLS reports a 148,080 dollar median for purchasing managers, the occupation defined as directing the work of buyers and purchasing agents. This Tomball job does its own daily buying and runs inventory control with a small hourly team, so its pay lines up most closely with experienced buyer and planner work. For a senior buyer, materials planner, or inventory supervisor, it is a step up into owning the whole function.
In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro, transportation and material moving jobs make up 9.5 percent of employment compared with 8.8 percent nationally, and production workers averaged 25.52 dollars an hour in May 2025 compared with 24.81 dollars nationally.
Nationally, BLS counts 604,400 purchasing manager, buyer, and purchasing agent jobs in 2025 and projects 6 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 53,600 openings a year. Manufacturing is the largest employer of both buyers (22 percent) and purchasing managers (23 percent). BLS notes that optional certification in procurement or supply chain management can show competency; credentials such as ASCM's CPIM or ISM's CPSM are not required here, but they are worth mentioning if you hold one.
What is the schedule for this Tomball job?
The job runs Monday through Friday, on site, with seasonal hours:
- Summer hours: 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM with a 30-minute lunch
- Winter hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a 30-minute lunch
- The employer gives advance notice before the schedule changes
Where is the job located, and is it remote?
The job is on site at the company's facility in Tomball, Texas, in northwest Harris County along State Highway 249. It is not remote or hybrid, because the role supervises the inventory, shipping, and receiving team and oversees cycle counts on the floor. Candidates from Tomball, Spring, Cypress, Magnolia, The Woodlands, and northwest Houston are a natural fit for the commute. The company's name and exact address are shared with qualified candidates once fit and interest are confirmed.
Who is recruiting for this purchasing and inventory manager job?
This search is led by Shelly Hubble, CSP, Senior Vice President of Operations at Frontline Source Group, a Certified Staffing Professional with more than 19 years at the firm. Frontline's The Woodlands office at 9595 Six Pines Drive, Suite 8210, The Woodlands, TX 77380, serves Tomball and north Houston and is used for scheduled meetings. All interviews are set by appointment only and we do not allow walk-ins at any location. Everything starts online: candidates apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html, and employers request talent at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html.
How does the hiring process work through Frontline Source Group?
- Apply online at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and reference Job ID 14394549.
- After you apply, you may get a call from Lexi Reed, Frontline's AI recruiter, who helps the team gather your background and availability.
- A recruiter screen covers your manufacturing background, the purchasing and inventory planning you have owned, the ERP systems you have used, and any supervisory experience.
- Qualified candidates may complete skills testing, such as Excel, before being presented to the employer.
- Frontline prepares you before the client interview; see frontlinesourcegroup.com/interview-instructions.html for what to expect.
How do you know this job posting is legitimate?
Frontline Source Group recruiters only email from the frtline.com domain and never use Gmail or other free email accounts. Frontline never charges candidates a fee and never asks for money, bank details, or equipment purchases. If a message using the Frontline name does not look right, review frontlinesourcegroup.com/scam-alert.html or email legal@frtline.com to verify the recruiter.
Why do manufacturing and supply chain professionals work with Frontline Source Group?
Frontline Source Group is a nationwide staffing and executive search firm founded in Dallas in 2004, with 32 plus offices, 5,619 completed placements, a 98.94% executive placement retention rate, and a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews, along with a 5.0 rating on G2 from validated reviewers. The firm is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026), Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms #148 (2026), a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, and a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA). See the full list at frontlinesourcegroup.com/staffing-awards.html.
Direct hire placements are backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day guarantee that is standard in staffing. Frontline's engineering and executive search teams place purchasing, inventory, operations, and plant leadership across Houston and nationwide. People. Process. Service.
How do you apply for the Tomball purchasing and inventory manager job?
Apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and reference Job ID 14394549. Lead your resume with your manufacturing plant experience, the purchasing and inventory numbers you have owned (purchase order volume, inventory accuracy, stockouts avoided, cost savings), your ERP and MRP systems, and any team you have supervised. Manufacturers and distributors that need purchasing, inventory, or operations talent can request it at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html or review fees and engagement models at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. See more of Frontline's work on the recent placements page.
Frequently Asked Questions: Tomball Purchasing and Inventory Manager Job
Is this Tomball purchasing and inventory manager job remote or on site?
It is on site at a manufacturing and distribution company in Tomball, Texas. There is no remote or hybrid option, because the role supervises the inventory, shipping, and receiving team and oversees cycle counts on the floor.
What does the purchasing and inventory manager do in this job?
You manage daily purchasing and inventory across multiple product lines, create about 10 to 20 purchase orders a day, set reorder points and safety stock, oversee cycle counts and inventory adjustments, work with vendors on pricing and delivery, and supervise the employees who handle picking, shipping, and receiving.
How much does this purchasing and inventory manager job pay?
The base salary is up to 80,000 dollars a year. Benefits include multiple health and insurance plan options, two weeks of paid time off, and paid holidays. For context, BLS reports a May 2025 median of 77,890 dollars for buyers and purchasing agents in manufacturing.
Do you need 10 years of experience as a purchasing manager?
No. The employer prefers 10 or more years of overall experience in a manufacturing plant, not 10 years in a purchasing or inventory management title. Senior buyers, materials planners, inventory supervisors, and similar professionals with strong manufacturing backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
What education is required for this job?
An associate degree in supply chain management or a related field is required. A bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, operations, or a related field is preferred.
What is the work schedule?
The job runs Monday through Friday. Summer hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM and winter hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, each with a 30-minute lunch, and the employer gives advance notice before the schedule changes.
What is a reorder point and how is it calculated?
A reorder point is the inventory level that triggers a new purchase order. A common formula is average daily usage multiplied by supplier lead time in days, plus safety stock. For example, 40 units a day times a 10-day lead time plus 120 units of safety stock gives a reorder point of 520 units.
What software experience does this job require?
You need experience with an ERP or inventory management system to keep purchasing, inventory, pricing, and material records accurate. Experience with material requirements planning (MRP), inventory optimization, and purchasing cost analysis is preferred.
Who is the recruiter for the Tomball purchasing and inventory manager job?
The search is led by Shelly Hubble, CSP, Senior Vice President of Operations at Frontline Source Group. Her profile is at frontlinesourcegroup.com/shelly-hubble-staffing-services.html.
Can you visit a Frontline Source Group office to apply?
No. All interviews are set by appointment only and we do not allow walk-ins at any location. Everything starts online: candidates apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html, and employers request talent at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html.
Is this a direct hire or contract job?
It is a direct hire position with the manufacturing company. Frontline Source Group recruits for the role, and direct hire placements are backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day guarantee common in staffing.
How do you apply for the Tomball purchasing and inventory manager job?
Apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and reference Job ID 14394549. Lead your resume with your manufacturing experience, the purchasing and inventory results you have owned, your ERP and MRP systems, and any team you have supervised. Frontline never charges candidates a fee.
