Job Description

Job Summary

To execute planning and buying activities in support of assigned commodities and suppliers.  Responsible for supplier and customer on-time delivery, pricing negotiation, inventory levels, and Purchase Price Variance performance for assigned commodities and suppliers.

Duties/Responsibilities 

• Develop and implement purchasing strategies to optimize cost savings, quality, and delivery of supplies and equipment
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers to ensure the best pricing and terms
• Monitors and analyzes sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns and determine what products the organization will sell and how much inventory is needed
• Collaborate with sales and purchasing staff to obtain information about customer needs and preferences
• Examines, selects, orders, and purchases at the most favorable price merchandise, considering quality, quantity, specification requirements, and other factors
• To plan and procure all material requirements based on a daily report of Purchase Requisition Lines and internal purchase requisitions.
• Monitor and adjust material requirements based on daily MRP Action Proposals.  
• Maintain and update supplier lead times, package/minimum quantities, supplier part number, and supplier contact information in the ERP system.
• Place purchase orders and monitor on-time delivery to support production plans and internal purchase requisitions. 
• Proactively identify potential stock issues and communicate with the Purchasing Manager to support effective prioritization and decision making in production scheduling or customer order fulfillment.
• Monitor open purchase orders for accuracy of delivery dates, cost, quantity, and engineering revision level.
• Work with Quality to address the disposition of any quality issues and returns to suppliers.
• Work with finance to address any payment issues and resolve PO or invoice discrepancies
• Support Supply Chain special projects as needed. 
• Assist in implementing procurement best practices and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Analyze large sets of data to inform purchasing decisions, vendor negotiations, and inventory planning.
• Collaborates with staff to obtain information about needs and preferences.
• Examines, selects, orders, and purchases at the most favorable price consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, and other factors.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers to support cost savings, reliability, and quality.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.          
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers and colleagues.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, proportions, and percentages.  
• Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry. 
• Advanced Excel skills – pivot tables & VLOOKUP, Word, and Outlook are a must in addition to the ability to research using the internet.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. 
• Ability to interpret and follow a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to turn data into actionable insights. 
• Excellent organizational and communication skills. 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Knowledge, Education, and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university with 3 years of experience in a Buyer position; or 5 years of experience in a Buyer, Purchasing Analyst, or related procurement role, preferably in the manufacturing environment.
• Strong experience working with ERP systems, IFS preferred