Buyer

The Buyer/Planner is responsible for planning, sourcing, and procuring materials required to support production schedules and customer delivery commitments. This role serves as a critical link between suppliers, operations, finance, and customer-facing teams to ensure materials are available when needed, inventory levels are optimized, and costs are managed effectively. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and skilled in supplier management, procurement, inventory planning, and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Plan and procure raw materials, components, and finished goods based on MRP recommendations, forecasts, and customer demand.
• Review and analyze MRP outputs, validate system data, and execute purchasing actions aligned with business requirements.
• Monitor and manage inventory levels to support production schedules while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory.
• Align material requirements with supplier lead times and proactively identify potential supply constraints and risks.
• Create, maintain, and modify purchase orders, including delivery date changes, quantity adjustments, and supplier confirmations.
• Expedite or defer orders as necessary to support production schedules and customer commitments.
• Resolve supply chain issues including shortages, late deliveries, quality concerns, logistics disruptions, and lead-time variances.
• Provide accurate material status updates and communicate readiness to internal stakeholders, including Operations, Sales, and Account Management teams.
• Maintain accurate ERP and planning system data, including pricing, lead times, order status, planned dates, and item master information.
• Manage procurement costs, including unit pricing, landed cost calculations, and cost change tracking.
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, freight terms, Incoterms, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and supplier agreements.
• Review and negotiate supplier terms and conditions, including payment terms, warranty provisions, return policies, and service expectations.
• Validate supplier quotations and pricing accuracy while supporting Finance with cost updates and standard costing activities.
• Analyze total cost of ownership, including logistics expenses, duties, tariffs, and other landed cost considerations.
• Support sourcing initiatives through competitive bidding, supplier benchmarking, and market analysis.
• Identify, evaluate, and source suppliers based on quality, delivery performance, service, capacity, and cost competitiveness.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure long-term performance and reliability.
• Monitor supplier performance using key metrics such as on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, and overall service levels.
• Collaborate with suppliers on continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, lead-time improvement, and operational efficiency.
• Support supplier corrective actions and performance improvement plans when necessary.
• Partner with Production, Quality, Logistics, Finance, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Service teams to support business requirements.
• Assist Finance with cost rollups, vendor invoicing discrepancies, cost variance analysis, and supplier-related financial issues.
• Coordinate freight activities and support Incoterm compliance with logistics providers and suppliers.
• Participate in supply chain improvement initiatives that enhance service levels, reduce costs, and improve operational performance.

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, planning, or supply chain management.
• Working knowledge of procurement processes, MRP systems, and inventory management principles.
• Experience negotiating pricing, supplier agreements, delivery schedules, and commercial terms.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret demand forecasts, inventory data, and cost information.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven manufacturing or operations environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other business applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with ERP, MRP, or supply chain management systems.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, electronics, OEM, contract manufacturing, gaming, or other complex supply chain environments.
• Professional certifications in supply chain, procurement, or operations management are a plus.

Skills

• Procurement & Negotiation: Ability to negotiate pricing, supplier agreements, lead times, and commercial terms that balance cost, service, and risk.
• Planning & Analysis: Uses demand forecasts, MRP data, inventory metrics, and supply chain insights to drive informed decisions.
• Attention to Detail: Maintains accuracy in purchase orders, inventory transactions, pricing, supplier communications, and system data.
• Supplier Management: Builds productive supplier relationships and effectively manages performance to achieve quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
• Communication & Collaboration: Works effectively across departments and communicates clearly with suppliers and internal stakeholders to support business goals.