Open Position:
Closed Position:
Procurement & Inventory Manager

Lead the acquisition and management of the network building blocks

Applications for this position closed on

General Info

Location:
Colorado Springs, CO
Type:
Full Time
Experience:
Mid-level
Department:
Underline El Paso LLC
Department:
Underline El Paso LLC
Reports to:
Division VP, Design, Engineering, & Construction

Compensation

Salary Range:
The salary range for this role is $70,000-$90,000
*
Benefits:
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, and 401k.
*In compliance with Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act the salary for this role is listed. Final compensation for this role will be determined by various factors such as a candidate's relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and geographic location.
*Final compensation for this role will be determined by various factors such as a candidate's relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and geographic location.

About Underline

Underline starts with our people.

At Underline, we've rapidly built a culture around ownership, trust, community, and innovation. Underline is dedicated to cultivating a growth environment where people feel valued, work with a purpose of mission, are personally rewarded, and are professionally challenged.

Are you ready to join this team and transform American communities?

Underline was founded in 2019 with a singular mission: to ensure the vibrancy of our nation through building intelligent community infrastructure in a socially equitable manner. We work with American communities to design, finance, and construct open access fiber-optic networks. These networks are critical to secure internet access that’s fast, affordable, and fair. As open access networks, this infrastructure is also the essential foundation for distributed healthcare services, new wireless solutions, and resilient infrastructure including modernized water systems and responsible energy creation. Our first two projects are in Colorado Springs and Fountain, Colorado.

About this Position

The Procurement & Inventory Manager owns the full procurement lifecycle for Underline — from vendor identification and contract negotiation to inventory control and distribution. This role is responsible for sourcing and purchasing supplies, materials, and parts in alignment with company specs and policies; building and managing supplier relationships; and maintaining the systems and processes that keep inventory accurate and operations running smoothly.

Beyond transactional purchasing, the Manager plays an active role in cross-functional collaboration — working with engineering, construction, sales, and customer service to develop procurement and inventory policies that drive efficiency. Physical responsibilities include receiving, inspecting, stocking, and logging incoming materials, with rigorous attention to recordkeeping on all inbound and outbound shipments.

The Manager is also expected to stay ahead of market conditions — tracking price trends, supplier dynamics, and material availability — to inform forward purchasing strategy and anticipate risk before it affects operations.

Does this sound like you?

  • You are detail-oriented and organized, and you catch discrepancies before they become problems.
  • You would rather be moving through a warehouse than sitting still all day.
  • You think in systems. Min-max levels, reorder points, and cycle counts make sense to you at a glance.
  • You hold suppliers accountable. When a delivery is late or wrong, you get on the phone and fix it.
  • You are comfortable with physical work. Lifting, stacking, and being on your feet all day doesn't slow you down.
  • You spot patterns in data and use them to make better purchasing decisions, not just react to what's in front of you.
  • You take ownership of accuracy. If the numbers don't match, you find out why before anyone has to ask.

What you'd be doing:

Procurement & Supplier Management

  • Source, evaluate, and purchase supplies, materials, and parts for the company, including large and complex items
  • Review purchase orders and contracts for compliance with company and departmental policies
  • Communicate with suppliers to resolve problems related to delivery, quality, price, or conditions of sale
  • Maintain knowledge of trends, prices, buyers, and delivery conditions to anticipate future material availability; direct purchasing programs accordingly
  • Forecast price and market trends to identify changes in buyer-supplier power dynamics

Inventory Strategy & Control

  • Manage inventory using a min-max methodology
  • Develop and maintain inventory databases for supplies, materials, and equipment parts
  • Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure clear requirements documentation
  • Collaborate with sales, engineering, construction, and customer service to develop and implement purchasing and inventory control policies that maximize efficiency and optimize workflow
  • Notify appropriate departments of inventory adjustments, stock levels, and their effect on production

Warehouse & Physical Inventory Operations

  • Maintain inventory of all equipment parts and consumables, including stacking, labeling, and organization of stock
  • Unload delivery trucks; check incoming shipments against packing slips and purchase orders; organize and store material
  • Update product inventory as items are received; enter material transactions in the ERP system
  • Unpack, stock, pull, receive, and issue materials according to established standards and processes
  • Assemble kits from pick lists; package products for return to vendors with all required paperwork
  • Ensure timely delivery of stock and inventory as needed

Accuracy & Reporting

  • Perform cycle counts of stocked material and investigate discrepancies; determine root causes and propose solutions to prevent recurrence
  • Create and maintain an annual physical inventory process
  • Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness
  • Conduct records audits of inventory, adjustments, and other metrics; prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for management
  • Perform cost and scenario analysis and benchmarking
  • Ensure all written documentation is properly signed and filed

Physical Requirements

Working in a warehouse environment, you will be walking, standing, and engaging in movement throughout the day, and occasionally to frequently be required to lift items weighing up to 50 lbs. Certain duties may involve a variety of physical activities including bending, stretching, lifting, stooping, turning, twisting, pushing, pulling, raising arms above shoulders and head, standing working in enclosed areas, climbing stairs or ladders, and operating heavy equipment. 

Experience we require:

  • 3+ years in procurement, purchasing, or inventory management, ideally in a warehouse or field operations environment
  • Working knowledge of ERP systems for purchase orders, receiving, and inventory transactions
  • Experience with min-max or similar inventory control methodologies
  • A track record of negotiating with suppliers and resolving delivery, quality, or pricing issues
  • Comfort with spreadsheets and reporting; you can build and read a metrics report without help
  • Physical ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work in a warehouse environment, including standing, bending, and climbing as needed

Bonus points:

  • Experience supporting construction, telecom, or utility field operations
  • Experience with Netsuite, RF Smart, Google suite, MS Suite, Claude

Hiring Manager

Thomas Bauman
Division VP, Design, Engineering, & Construction

Unsure about applying?

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But here’s the thing: there's no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. Underline is a place where everyone can grow. So however you identify and whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day.

Position Application

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We maintain exceptionally high standards for talent and recognize that there are many paths to developing expertise. We don't discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you have the skills we need and the ambition to grow fast with us, that's all that matters.