Buyer

Summary Of Position

Under the direction of the Purchasing Director, the Buyer is responsible for contacting suppliers to procure all purchases, ensuring on-time deliveries, and supporting/mediating the resolution of any supplier-related concerns or issues. Responsible for the flow of communication cross-functionally.

Job Duties & Essential Functions

• Issue Purchase Orders and follow up with suppliers until the material is received in the system – including MRO
• Coordinate material pickups from our suppliers
• Request and maintain required paperwork from suppliers of raw materials and MRO (such as invoices, TDS, MSDS, COA, packing lists, and certificates)
• Communicate with suppliers to ensure that specified delivery dates are met on purchase orders issued by Purchasing or Supply Chain. If the supplier is unable to meet the specified delivery date, issue a Change Order showing the new agreed-upon delivery date and promptly advise the departments involved (i.e., Production Planning, Materials Management, Production, etc.)
• Monitor and evaluate supplier performance
• Advise appropriate personnel of an impending supplier failure to fulfill contractual obligations, which may delay production or delivery
• Resolve shipment quality discrepancies by mediating supplier/manufacturing issues
• Facilitate inspections, substitutions, and standardization by arranging and participating in conferences between suppliers and company personnel
• Negotiate and settle damage claims, rejections, losses, return of materials, over-shipments, cancellations, and engineering changes with suppliers
• Prepare moderately complex reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends
• Provide parts, equipment, and materials information by answering questions and requests
• Apply continuous improvement techniques and methods to internal processes and systems to increase efficiency and customer service and to reduce costs
• Understand the Automated Procurement System and its relationship to the various interfacing systems
• Maintain purchasing databases to ensure dependent departments have prompt and accurate information
• Use generated reports and screens for control and manufacturing decisions
• Review the various databases of the Automated Procurement System daily for reschedules and cancellations and take appropriate actions urgently
• Assist Production Planning in reviewing purchased parts shortages to determine if sufficient quantities are available and or in transit to allow a manufacturing schedule change if and when required
• Process all Accounting tasks for price and quantity discrepancies
• Post daily acknowledgements to purchase orders
• Follow up on un-acknowledged orders and confirm with vendors
• Review rejected material and complete disposition with corrective action
• Review metrics for validity and provide daily maintenance to ensure accuracy
• Determine proper quantities of materials (resins, inserts, packaging etc.) and establish deliveries to meet the production schedule, using MRP, machine run time, and knowledge of other relevant facts
• Monitor the forecast for the raw materials, including packaging
• Keep Schedulers apprised of material availability problems through daily contact and attending production scheduling meetings. Participation in these meetings should also be to find out the needs of materials and services from the Production team
• Establish and monitor inventory processes, including Kanbans, VMI, Pull/Lean and Consignment programs with vendors
• Monitor inventory value and continually work to reduce levels without interrupting service to the plant
• Maintain reasonable level of inventories, economical to supply parameters and production schedules
• Follow the Purchasing department's increase process as is required
• Participate in all functions of Physical Inventory
• Contribute to the development & implementation of planning & acquisition processes as well as purchasing reqs, purchases, & procedures
• Work closely with appropriate teams in the development and engagement of sourcing strategies
• Know and contribute to the objectives and goals of the Supply Chain group
• Create scorecards to monitor performance
• Present and elaborate on the month PPV report and clarify any questions
• Help with audits such as IATF and ISO

Qualifications

• Minimum education requirement is a Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, or related coursework from 4-year college or university with at least 3 years of related experience (i.e., purchasing, customer service, or production scheduling)
• May instead have an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience; additional experience may be substituted for education
• APICS certification strongly preferred
• Must work fairly independently receiving a minimum of detailed supervision and guidance
• Data entry experience
• Able to work in a fast-paced and at time stressed environment
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office products required – ie. Outlook, Excel, Word
• Knowledge of the materials purchased, programs, and procedures that are related to the work of the purchasing department
• Must be dependable and have an excellent attendance record
• Detail-oriented accuracy in work and good follow-up skills
• Effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees and management of the organization
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, at all levels, both internally and externally
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists