Buyer

28800 Ida St, Valley, Nebraska 68064-8016

About the role

Responsible for procurement of assigned items, planning, coordinating and reviewing activities related to an assigned commodity, focused on timely deliveries and shipment accuracy with the goal of satisfying customer requirements. The incumbent commits funds, participates in strategic business decisions and operates as the liaison between supply chain and operations. Buyer is accountable for purchase order creation, supply chain execution, and purchase order requirements according to existing strategy through communication with suppliers. This position is focused on achieving on-time supplier delivery in order to meet customer delivery requirements. Incumbent will work closely with other teams from the new product planning phase to ensure that the best components are considered not purely from a price, but from an availability, lead time and quality perspective. The team plays a critical role in addressing demand variability, configuration changes and supplier support for different processes.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for making effective and timely decisions to resolve material shortages in production.
• Achievement of outstanding internal customer satisfaction and maintenance of relationships between the supply base and Valmont Industries, Inc.
• Responsible for efficiently and economically and the timely delivery of purchased material for divisional production and related support functions consistent with divisional inventory policy.
• Responsible for preparing Return Goods Orders and the disposition of rejected material to closure.
• Responsible for maintaining a professional working relationship with suppliers, Engineers, Production Control, Marketing, Manufacturing and other Purchasing personnel.
• Develop a deeper understanding of production requirement data and how to properly respond to the stated requirements.
• Resolves problems related in invoicing receipts, acknowledgements, material shortages, delinquencies and certifications with vendors, divisional and corporate personnel.
• Coordinates Engineering Change Notices for items purchased affecting new or existing materials in order to ease transition and manage inventory levels.
• Interprets MRP output to create purchase orders (P.O.) for assigned items and verifies supplier receipt of the P.O. Expedites delivery of past due or moved-up purchase orders for specified suppliers – records any date revisions in system.
• Assist Accounts Payable in timely credit/debit reconciliation.
• Contact suppliers for PO confirmations, PO changes, to resolve shipment discrepancies, or process return.
• Participate in Lean initiative events such as inventory carrying costs, Kanban, consignment, floor stock.
• Analyze delivery issues and adjust database as required for assigned items.
• Assist Corporate Purchasing in supplier consolidation efforts.
• Reviews purchasing standard work procedures for improvements to increase customer satisfaction and/or reduce cost.
• Act as a backup for other Buyers and Senior Buyers.

This position reports into the Purchasing Manager and has no direct reports.

Requirements

• Preferred Bachelor’s Degree or Associates Degree with 3+ years relevant experience or 5+ years of relevant quality experience.
• Professional work experience with contract management and negotiations.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, building relationships with all levels of employees.
• Ability to organize and manage multiple, simultaneous priorities and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Attention to detail and accuracy while working in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines.
• Judgment and decision-making skills while comparing relative cost and benefit potential.
• A strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in sales, operations, operations planning, master scheduling, production planning, inventory control or production control within an MRP/ERP environment.
• Knowledge of customer service functions and shipping procedures.
• APICS (C.P.I.M.) Certified Purchasing Manager or Certified Professional in Inventory Management Certification.

Working Environment

Work is typically performed in an office setting. The incumbent is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time, as well as talk and listen on the phone and in personal conversations or meetings. Environment is fast paced and demanding most of the time. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms while working in the office with various files and forms and while working on the computer. The employee is occasionally required to move about the office. Incumbent must utilize proper ergonomic safeguards such as monitor height and positions, keyboard location and height and proper wrists rests. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds in working with large files, binders, and computer equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. The position does require the incumbent to have a valid US driver’s license and be able to travel by plane as required by the job.

Benefits

• Healthcare (medical, prescription drugs, dental and vision)
• 401k retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off
• Employer paid life insurance
• Employer paid short-term and long-term disability including maternity leave
• Work Life Support
• Tuition Reimbursement up to $5,250 per year
• Voluntary programs like tobacco cessation, Type 2 diabetes reversal, one-on-one health coaching, mortgage services and more