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Purchasing Manager - Children's, Callisto and Custom Publishing

Role overview

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
  • 5+ years of experience in print purchasing, print buying, or manufacturing within book publishing or a related consumer products industry
  • 2+ years of experience supervising, training, or coaching a purchasing or production team

Responsibilities

  • Lead the end-to-end print-buying and manufacturing process for a portfolio of books and custom projects
  • Oversee forecasting, vendor sourcing, bidding, press scheduling, print quantities, and on-time delivery while balancing cost, quality, and speed to market
  • Lead, support, and develop a team of print buyers by setting priorities, removing obstacles, and coaching team members
  • Drive process improvements, manage vendor relationships, and support custom and novelty-format product development

Key facts

Hard skills

Other skills

  • Team Leadership
  • Forecasting
  • Quality Control
  • Coaching
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Problem Solving

About the company

Sourcebooks logo

Sourcebooks

Book Publishing

We’re an independent, women-led publisher bound together by the idea that Books. Change. Lives.Starting with just one book in 1987, we now publish more than 400 new titles each year. With millions of books sold and hundreds of national bestsellers, we help talented authors get their stories into the hands of eager readers. We’re constantly learning: we know tomorrow’s opportunities can be discovered only with a passionate desire to explore new ideas. We’re data driven, laser-focused on leveraging facts and trends that help us deliver results for authors, customers, and readers year over year. From top titles in children’s and young adult, to romance, mystery, adult fiction, cookbooks, thrillers, personalized books, calendars, college guides, and beyond, impactful books for every reader are the heart of all we do. We're excited to work with passionate authors, illustrators, booksellers, librarians, educators, and others to create a vibrant future for books. That future is now, and we’re creating it. Thanks for being part of our story. If you’re a book lover who embraces change and believes books change lives, view our open positions here: www.sourcebooks.com/company/careers.html

Company details

IndustryBook Publishing
Company size201-500

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Job description

Help bring the next generation of books to readers. As Purchasing Manager for Children's, Callisto, and Custom Publishing, you'll drive day-to-day print buying across a dynamic portfolio, optimizing cost, quality, and speed to market, while leading and developing a high-performing team that turns great ideas into beautifully made books.

The location for this position can be hybrid or remote in New York or Naperville, Illinois or remote based in any of the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.

The annual salary range for this role is $85,000 - $90,000.  We determine starting pay based on a thorough evaluation of job-related factors, including geographic location, market conditions, relevant experience, training, and education. This process ensures a fair and competitive salary that aligns with both the company and the candidate’s qualifications.   

What you’ll do:
  • As Purchasing Manager for Children’s, Callisto, and Custom Publishing, you’ll lead the end-to-end print-buying and manufacturing process for an exciting portfolio of books and custom projects.
  • You’ll oversee forecasting, vendor sourcing, bidding, press scheduling, print quantities, and on-time delivery while balancing cost, quality, and speed to market.
  • You’ll lead, support, and develop a team of print buyers by setting priorities, removing obstacles, building cross-training opportunities, and coaching team members toward greater ownership of their work and vendor relationships.
  • Working closely with Data, Inventory, Fulfillment, Sales, Editorial, Design, and Production, you’ll drive process improvements, manage vendor relationships, support custom and novelty-format product development, and provide reporting and insights that improve manufacturing efficiency and business performance.
What you bring
  • Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
  • 5+ years of experience in print purchasing, print buying, or manufacturing within book publishing or a related consumer products industry.
  • 2+ years of experience supervising, training, or coaching a purchasing or production team.
Why Sourcebooks?
Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial publisher driven by our mission to change lives through books. The fifth-largest publisher in the U.S. by print units sold, we bring extraordinary authors to readers in dynamic, data-driven ways, leading to hundreds of national and international bestsellers. Our insight-driven approach has earned us recognition from Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company, a Best Workplace for Innovators, a Most Loved Workplace by Newsweek, a Best Workplace by Inc., and Publishers Weekly’s nod as “the most successful self-made publisher operating in the 21st century.”. Story by story, book by book, we have changed more than 300 million lives.  Join us as we change 300 million more!  
 
Ready to Apply:
Please submit your resume, salary requirements, and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in this role. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Show us your passion and creativity — we’re looking for someone who’s as enthusiastic about this opportunity as we are! 
Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care, Dependent Care, Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, & generous paid time off.  
  
Sourcebooks values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran.

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MR

Marcus Rivera

Chief Revenue Officer

m.rivera@company.com
linkedin.com/in/marcusrivera
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