Senior Buyer/Planner

Strategic Buyer: Procurement & Process Innovator

The Challenge:

Penta Laboratories isn't just a distributor; we are a world-class manufacturer of specialized electron tubes and high-power microwave systems used in everything from life-saving medical devices to industrial food processing. With over 1 million tubes in stock and 8,000+ parts to manage, our supply chain is complex, technical, and vital to global infrastructure.

We aren’t looking for a "data enterer." We are looking for a Strategic Buyer—a problem solver who can look at our 50-year legacy and find modern ways to make it leaner, faster, and more resilient.

The Role: Beyond the Purchase Order

As a Strategic Buyer at Penta, you will be the architect of our supply chain stability. You will manage the lifecycle of goods for both Penta Labs and our Machlett division, ensuring our assembly lines never stop and our customers' microwave systems stay powered.

We want a candidate who can:

• Innovate the Workflow: Don't just follow the SOP—help us write the next version. We value "process-oriented" thinkers who can identify a bottleneck and build a bridge around it.
• Solve Technical Puzzles: You’ll work closely with Manufacturing and Engineering. If a part is discontinued or a supplier fails, you are the person who investigates, negotiates, and finds the alternative solution.
• Bridge the Gap: You will be the central hub between Customer Service, Quality, and Operations. You’ll need to translate "big picture" company goals into actionable procurement plans.
• Drive Value: We look for "Value Added" thinkers—someone who can look at a 'make-part' and prove why it should be a 'buy-part' (or vice versa) to save time and cost.

Your Professional Toolkit

• ERP/MRP Mastery: You understand the "soul" of an MRP system. You know how to manipulate demand and supply data to forecast accurately.
• Strategic Negotiation: You use diplomacy and tact as tools to achieve measurable cost avoidance and lead-time reductions.
• Technical Literacy: You can read a blueprint or a specification sheet and understand the importance of the precision required in vacuum electronics.
• Barrier Breaking: You don't get stuck. Whether it’s a logistics delay or a vendor dispute, you have the grit to push through or find a creative way around the obstacle.

Performance Impact

You will be measured by your ability to improve the status quo, specifically through:

• Enhancing Supplier On-Time Delivery and Quality.
• Aggressively reducing lead times and identifying cost-out opportunities.
• Successful conversion of "make" to "purchased" parts to optimize our assembly floor.

Qualifications

• Experience: 2–4 years in procurement/planning, ideally within the electron tube, semiconductor, or a high-spec industrial manufacturing environment.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or equivalent "battle-tested" work experience.
• Tech Stack: Expert-level Excel skills and a deep comfort with integrated ERP systems.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Procurement: 1 year (Preferred)
• Purchasing: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person