Associate II Purchasing

About the role

The Purchasing Associate II position at Cypress Bend, part of the Clearwater Paper team, plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the mill. This role supports safety initiatives, manages material requirements planning (MRP), and collaborates with various departments to ensure parts and materials are readily available.

Responsibilities

• Support Safety initiatives and foster engagement with mill team.
• Responsibility over MRP/MRO ordering and Purchase Order management.
• Create, monitor, and update purchase orders to ensure accuracy and timely delivery of parts and equipment.
• Ensure compliance with corporate supply agreements.
• Train to effectively build skills for higher-level buying responsibilities, to include reconciling chemical receipts & supporting department specific procurement requests.
• Weekend duty responsibility on rotation as required.
• Special Projects as assigned.

Vendor Relations

• Build relationships with vendors, participate in meetings, and help lead communications.
• Maintain vendor records and ensure supplier information remains current within company systems.
• Assist with supplier onboarding and maintain required documentation.

Process Administration

• Manage PO/invoice exception process: Ensure invoicing is correct, resolve issues and vendor concerns.
• Manage Receipts Not Vouchered (RNV) process to ensure timely receipt of vendor invoices.
• Collaborate with Storeroom, EH&S, Maintenance, Reliability, and Operations.
• Support Storeroom on inventory discrepancies and/or parts errors.
• Afford assistance in annual Cycle Count inventory inspections and observations as needed.
• Work with Finance on month end closing duties as needed.

Success Measurements

• Accountable for safety performance and related improvements consistent with a culture of EH&S excellence.
• Deliver relevant productivity values across categories including P&L savings, cost avoidance, negotiated savings, working capital, and additional levers annually.
• Continuously build skills for future responsibilities and provide occasional backfill coverage as needed.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Associate degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of administrative, purchasing, inventory control, customer service, or related business experience preferred.
• Experience in manufacturing, industrial operations, pulp and paper, or supply chain environments is highly desirable.

Skills/Abilities

• Strong computer skills required including experience using Excel spreadsheets.
• Experience using JD Edwards software preferred or demonstrated experience/proficiency with SAP-based systems.
• Ability to work on non-routine purchases that require analysis to arrive at best decision.
• General knowledge of manufacturing operations preferred.
• Demonstrated work experience in continuous improvement efforts and methodologies preferred.
• Self-motivated, able to set priorities and maintain confidentiality.
• High initiative with ability to handle variety of tasks as well as provide support in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint are strongly preferred.