Purchasing Specialist
Coco
Posted about 11 hours ago
Job Title: Purchasing Specialist
Location: Venice, CA
OVERVIEW
At Coco, we're dedicated to perfecting the last-mile delivery experience. We strongly believe the delivery service industry in its current state is massively under-serving merchants, and we are committed to creating a frictionless, reliable, consistent, and sustainable delivery experience for merchants and their customers in cities everywhere.
Our fleet of last-mile delivery robots operates seven days a week across multiple cities worldwide — and keeping those robots on the street takes a steady, well-managed flow of parts. From batteries and motors to lids, wheels, sensors, and fasteners, every repair depends on having the right component in the right place at the right time.
ROLE SUMMARY
As a Purchasing Specialist, you'll own the day-to-day procurement of the components, spare parts, and consumables that keep Coco's robot fleet running. You'll manage purchase orders from request to receipt, build productive relationships with domestic and international suppliers, and partner closely with our repair technicians, fleet quality, and engineering teams to make sure parts availability never becomes the reason a robot sits idle. You'll also help us buy smarter — tracking pricing and lead times, consolidating orders, qualifying alternate suppliers, and flagging opportunities to reduce cost without sacrificing quality or uptime.
This is a hands-on role for someone who loves turning chaos into process. You'll be the go-to person for "do we have it, when will it arrive, and what did it cost?" You'll work alongside the team in person, Monday through Friday, at our Venice, CA office — close to the repair floor, the parts, and the technicians and engineers who need them.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Create, issue, and track purchase orders for maintenance and repair components across our robot fleet
Manage open order books with suppliers: confirm pricing and lead times, expedite critical shortages, and resolve discrepancies in quantity, quality, or invoicing
Monitor spare parts inventory levels across our markets and trigger replenishment before shortages impact repair throughput
Source and qualify new and alternate suppliers for components, working with engineering to validate fit, form, and function
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and order quantities with vendors to reduce per-unit costs and improve cash efficiency
Coordinate inbound logistics for domestic and international shipments, including freight, customs documentation, and receiving
Maintain clean, accurate procurement records — part numbers, approved suppliers, price history, and lead times — so the data tells the story
Partner with repair technicians, fleet quality, and hardware engineering to forecast demand from failure trends and upcoming fleet changes
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
2–4 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or inventory management — ideally for hardware, electronics, automotive, or another physical product
Working knowledge of the purchase order lifecycle: requisition, PO issuance, order confirmation, receiving, and invoice reconciliation
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail — you keep many orders moving at once without dropping any
Comfort with spreadsheets and data: you can build a tracker, analyze price history, and spot a trend in lead times
Clear, proactive communication with both internal teams and external vendors
A bias toward action and ownership — when a part is at risk, you chase it down
NICE TO HAVE
Experience purchasing electromechanical components (PCBAs, batteries, motors, sensors, cables, injection-molded plastics)
Experience working with overseas suppliers and contract manufacturers, including international freight and customs
Familiarity with ERP, MRP, or inventory management systems
Exposure to MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) purchasing or fleet-based operations
Experience supporting hardware engineering teams through product changes (ECOs, component transitions, end-of-life parts)
WHY COCO
Work on a product you can literally see rolling down the sidewalk — from our office in Venice, CA, five days a week alongside the team
High-energy, collaborative startup environment with real ownership from day one
Competitive salary and startup equity
Health, dental, and vision benefits
The chance to build procurement processes from the ground up as we scale to new cities
Compensation: $75,000–$95,000 annually, depending on experience, plus equity.
Coco is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
