Buyer - BAP

About the Role

The Buyer is responsible for creating and executing an operational strategy to meet the commercial objectives of an assigned product line and support order fulfillment through inventory planning, replenishment, forecasting, and allocation. This includes aligning supply with demand, optimizing inventory levels, and ensuring effective communication across teams to limit inventory costs, optimize margins, and provide guidance to the commercial team regarding availability and pricing.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and review new sales orders, including consignment and call-off orders, and develop proactive fulfillment plans by analyzing current inventory levels, open and forecasted purchase orders.
• Initiate purchase order requests as needed and coordinate material movement orders, warehouse transfers, and repackaging activities to ensure on-time customer delivery.
• Review demand by analyzing sales history, customer forecasts, and market trends to proactively align inventory availability and purchasing activity with anticipated customer requirements.
• Direct Purchasing Associates in issuing purchase orders based on re-order cycles and open demand, and support the Product Manager in negotiating pricing and product availability with suppliers.
• Review open purchase orders and compare them against changes in sales orders to determine if adjustments are needed.
• Initiate, monitor, and manage warehouse transfers, repackaging/relabeling/blending job orders, and material movement orders to meet order fulfillment needs.
• Allocate to sales orders with enough lead time to ensure on-time delivery to customers.
• Review and validate sales order margins to ensure historical margin standards and profitability targets are met.
• Serve as support to the sales team, customer service, and purchasing associates on complex orders.
• Collaborate with sales and suppliers to resolve potential fulfillment delays, force majeure, or other issues, finding alternative solutions to minimize impact to customers and the business.
• Participate in collaboration demand/supply planning meetings with the Product Manager to create a balanced inventory replenishment strategy that meets current demand, promotes sales growth, and achieves inventory turn targets.
• Support supplier communication for rush orders, price discrepancies, availability issues, changes in quantity, and delivery timelines, serving as an escalation point to Product Managers and supplier Account Managers.
• Monitor the Rail Car In-Transit Report to identify delays in transit or placement times, assess potential impacts on customer orders, and proactively communicate issues while offering viable alternative solutions.
• Regularly monitor stock levels, identify potential shortages, and ensure sufficient inventory availability to meet demand.
• Maintain optimal stock levels based on demand, forecast, and trends using inventory dashboards and ERP tools.
• Reduce obsolete and slow-moving inventory through strategic planning and cross-departmental efforts by working with commercial teams to find a home for aging inventory.
• Collaborate with Product Managers to align stocking strategies with product segmentation and sales initiatives.
• Review blocked inventory regularly to ensure timely resolution of damages, quality issues, or returns.
• Lead segmentation reviews with Product Managers and communicate updates across stakeholders for correct product categorization.
• Oversee railcar inventory by reviewing Idle reports, minimizing heels, aging, and demurrage and detention charges.
• Analyze material costs, freight expenses, and supplier pricing to take advantage of bulk orders, truck builds, bracket pricing, supported pricing, CUPS, rebates, and deals pricing for opportunities to reduce spend and increase margin.
• Monitor and take action to mitigate demurrage, detention, and warehouse storage/carrying costs.
• Initiate recovery of demurrage fees per company policy by passing charges to customers when applicable.
• Offer disposition guidance on damaged goods to maximize value recovery.
• Maintain accurate ERP data, including product segmentation, product classification, country of origin, and Primary Supply Point (PSP) assignments.
• Submit new product setup and deactivation requests, providing all necessary documentation and information while maintaining company standards.
• Ensure supplier setup is complete by gathering and providing necessary documentation and maintain updated vendor contact information.
• Coordinate quarterly PSP reviews and participate in segmentation updates with Product Managers.
• Serve as a content manager for digital product platforms.
• Communicate changes in MOQs, lead times, and sourcing strategies to the commercial team and adjust purchasing rules accordingly.
• Serve as the primary liaison for all internal and external stakeholders related to assigned product lines.
• Notify customer service and sales proactively of potential order delays with root-cause analysis and alternative solutions.
• Work closely with the inventory team, warehouse, logistics, and suppliers to ensure synchronized execution of plans.
• Support team members during peak times or absences, promoting a collaborative and adaptable work culture.
• Participate in team initiatives outside core responsibilities as required to support organizational objectives.
• Stay current on industry trends, system updates, policy changes, company initiatives, technologies, and compliance requirements.
• Actively participate in Daily Management, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and engaging in stakeholder meetings and problem-solving activities.
• Identify and present opportunities for process improvement, partnering with cross-functional teams to evaluate and propose enhancements.
• Lead and support the development of the Purchasing Associate assigned to the portfolio to enhance their skills and capabilities in line with organizational goals.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the sales team on inventory and procurement matters, providing insights, solutions, and recommendations.

Requirements

• Proven communication and interpersonal skills (verbal and written) and ability to establish relationships and collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of supply chain activities, understanding all operations to meet targets and solve problems.
• Takes initiative, uses experience and critical thinking to innovate.
• Team building: Creates a climate in which people want to do their best; can motivate the team; empowers others.
• Strong understanding of purchasing processes, replenishment, material allocation, and managing inventory levels.
• Business acumen and commercial understanding with an attention to detail and the ability to prioritize.
• Ability to analyze data/reports to make and execute an action plan.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, and Outlook. Experience with purchasing/supply chain planning, inventory management, and ERP systems is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or related field required. Equivalent experience considered in lieu of degree.
• 3 years of previous experience in a similar role required. Internal candidates are highly preferred.
• Experience with Purchasing, Demand and Supply planning, inventory management, Supply Chain, or a related field is highly desired.
• Valid driver’s license required.
• Proficiency in English required. Bi-lingual (Spanish or Portuguese) is a plus.
• Experience in a global/international organization and similar size organization preferred.

Work Environment

• Hybrid in-office and work-from-home role.
• Must be adaptable to work in a shared space with constant noise, with or without the use of a private office.
• May be required to travel to office locations in the USA as well as other countries based on business needs.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly required to communicate verbally, read, and comprehend information, and type on a consistent and daily basis.
• Push, pull, and lift up to 40 lbs on a weekly basis.
• Regularly required to travel by foot, car, bus, airplane, or other means of transportation, which may require sitting, waiting, and standing for long and short periods of time.
• Ability to set up desk equipment, including placing equipment on top of desks and connecting cables and power cords under desks (requiring lifting, bending, pushing, pulling).