Based in St. Louis, Core & Main is a leader in advancing reliable infrastructure™ with local service, nationwide®. As a specialty distributor with a focus on water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection products and related services, Core & Main provides solutions to municipalities, private water companies and professional contractors across municipal, non-residential and residential end markets, nationwide. With over 370 locations across the U.S., the company provides its customers local expertise backed by a national supply chain. Core & Main’s 5,700 associates are committed to helping their communities thrive with safe and reliable infrastructure. Visit coreandmain.com to learn more.

Senior Buyer – Fire Protection

Garden City, NY (will consider remote for candidates with the precise experience required)

Position Summary

Core & Main is seeking an experienced Senior Buyer to support our growing Fire Protection business. This role is responsible for overseeing approximately $45M in annual purchases   across multiple Fire Protection branches.

The Senior Buyer partners closely with Branch Managers and Operations Managers as internal customers, ensuring product availability, healthy inventory turns, and disciplined replenishment in a business characterized by project‑driven demand, steel price volatility, and short lead times.

This role is ideal for a buyer who is highly analytical, systems‑oriented, and focused on inventory optimization rather than heavy price negotiation, as the majority of pricing is system‑generated and vendor‑locked.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Inventory Management

• Manage replenishment purchasing across assigned Fire Protection branches, primarily for stock inventory with typical 1–2 week lead times
• Oversee approximately $45M in annual spend, balancing availability with inventory efficiency
• Execute purchasing decisions using system‑generated buying recommendations, established vendor programs, and historical branch buying patterns
• Monitor and manage slow‑moving and dead stock, ensuring inventory aligns with actual project velocity and demand cycles
• Avoid overbuying by optimizing purchase frequency (e.g., favoring multiple inventory turns over long‑dated bulk buys

Internal Partnership

• Serve as a primary purchasing partner to Branch Managers and Operations Managers, who manage direct vendor and contractor relationships
• Support Inside Sales teams when price discrepancies or system exceptions arise
• Collaborate with a Purchasing Coordinator (newly added role) for reporting, data accuracy, and administrative support

Systems & Data

• Utilize purchasing and inventory platforms including Smart Distributor, Mincron, and tools transitioning into Microsoft 365 / D365 environments
• Analyze inventory performance through metrics such as:
  • Inventory turns
  • Stock availability / outages
  • Dead and slow‑moving inventory
• Leverage system transparency to ensure consistent buying behavior across regions where ~80% of pricing and vendor alignment is pre‑set

Market & Category Awareness

• Operate within a Fire Protection market driven by:
  • Remodeling and new construction cycles
  • Data center expansion (notably in the Northeast)
  • Government‑funded projects (airports, military facilities) and contractor‑led private projects
• Navigate steel price volatility with disciplined buying strategies that protect margin and working capital

Success Measures

• Success in this role is measured by:
• Strong inventory turns
• Minimal stock outages
• Reduction of dead and slow‑moving inventory
• Consistent support of branch operations without excess working capital investment

Qualifications

Required

• 3-5+ years of experience in buying, purchasing, or inventory management within:
  • Distribution, wholesale, or industrial supply environments
• Strong analytical and logical decision‑making skills
• Experience working in ERP‑driven purchasing environments
• Proven ability to manage high‑dollar purchasing portfolios across multiple locations

Preferred

• Fire Protection, construction materials, or project‑based distribution experience
• Experience with D365 or similar modern ERP platforms  
• Familiarity with steel‑based product categories
• Background in organizations where purchasing is systems‑led rather than negotiation‑heavy

Why Core & Main – Fire Protection

Core & Main is a leading national distributor of Fire Protection products, ranked among the top 2–3 providers in the industry. Our Fire Protection business serves mission‑critical infrastructure, data centers, and public safety projects across the country—work that directly protects lives and property.

We offer:

• Scale with regional decision‑making
• Stable demand driven by essential infrastructure
• A collaborative culture focused on operational excellence

Core & Main is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Employment at Core & Main is based solely on a person’s merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence.  Core & Main does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship, or any other basis protected by law.

None of the questions in this application are intended to elicit information regarding any protected characteristics, nor imply any limitation, illegal preferences or discrimination based upon non-job-related information or protected characteristics.

For more information, please click here or visit https://www.eeoc.gov