Buyer

• Evaluates and acts upon the MRP requirements and Kanban levels for assigned commodities. Generates and adjusts purchase orders and/or shop work orders to support production schedules. Proactively identifies and takes appropriate corrective actions to prevent material shortages
• Takes the lead on sourcing projects, coordinating activities across departments to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and timely completion.
• Organizes and leads regular meetings with team members and stakeholders to discuss project progress, share best practices, and resolve any challenges.
• Independently assesses and makes sourcing decisions for assigned commodities, including negotiating terms and conditions with suppliers to meet organizational objectives.
• Communicates effectively with senior management and cross-functional leaders to provide updates on sourcing initiatives, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

• Builds and maintains strategic relationships with key suppliers, negotiating contracts that align with corporate margin expectations and performance standards.
• Leads initiatives that drive continuous improvement in sourcing processes, utilizing lean methodologies and performance metrics to measure success.

• Ensures quick resolution of shipping discrepancies, receiving errors, and invoice errors, and authorizes all inventory adjustments. Coordinates adjustments to ship dates or quantities on open purchase orders as necessary.
• Supports purchasing management in activities such as price benchmarking, vendor management, process analysis, market and industry research, and model building.
• Conducts small contract negotiations. Gathers information and provides input on larger contracts. Manages loading and retrieving legal and compliance documents into applicable storage systems.
• Objectively measures and communicates supplier performance to support supply chain continuous improvement efforts. Interfaces with Suppliers, Quality, Strategic Sourcing, and Engineering to quickly resolve quality, delivery or cost issues.
• Drives increased inventory turns, reduced cycle times, and improved Customer OTD by developing, implementing and managing pull-based material replenishment processes, including, but not limited to Kanban cards, vendor managed inventory and supplier consignments. Works to eliminate excess and obsolete parts and rationalize similar parts.
• Proactively identifies and addresses complex issues with suppliers, utilizing analytical skills and judgment to determine the most effective solutions.
• Engenders a spirit of cooperation throughout the supply chain to ensure responsiveness to the customer.

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, or related field. Extensive experience in purchasing/planning can be substituted in lieu of 4-year degree.
• 5+ years’ experience in related buyer or supply chain role or related work experience.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving/decision making skills; ability to make timely, effective, fact-based decisions.
• Computer skills in scheduling software, ERP systems, and Microsoft office suite, including Word, Excel, Access, MS project.
• Knowledge of supplier and component qualification processes.
• Knowledge of supplier performance management practices, including supplier scorecards and performance metrics.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to perform and produce results in multifunctional teams in a dynamic work environment.
• Proven ability to develop collaborative relationships and influence up, down, and across organizational lines.
• Experience with dynamic, fast paced, and matrixed organization.

ALSO GREAT IF YOU BRING/ PREFERENCES

• APICS certification.
• CPIM, CSCP, Lean Manufacturing and Six-Sigma Green Belt certifications are highly desirable.
• Experience in Lean, such as implementing lean concepts (Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen Leadership, 5S). Prior experience implementing and managing a Kanban or pull system approach to component flow.
• Experience working with suppliers from low-cost regions (examples: India, China, Eastern Europe).
• Experience in similar industry (engineered to order rotating equipment components).