Buyer / Material Planner

About the role

PLZ is committed to product stewardship and innovation, strong ethical standards, sustainable operations, and the development of our people. The Material Planner / Buyer supports the procurement of materials, supplies, and services needed to meet production and business requirements. This role manages purchase orders, supplier communication, delivery follow-up, cost control, and cross-functional coordination to ensure materials are available on time, at the right quality, and at the best total value.

Responsibilities

• Review purchase requisitions and convert approved requests into accurate purchase orders in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Source, purchase, and expedite assigned materials, components, supplies, and services to support production schedules, customer commitments, and inventory targets.
• Communicate regularly with suppliers to confirm pricing, lead times, order acknowledgements, delivery dates, and shipment status.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, lead times, and service expectations to support cost savings, continuity of supply, and total cost of ownership objectives.
• Monitor open purchase orders, supplier delivery performance, and material availability; escalate risks and coordinate recovery plans when needed.
• Partner with planning, operations, quality, finance, logistics, and customer service teams to resolve shortages, invoice discrepancies, receiving issues, and supplier quality concerns.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier information, item data, pricing, delivery dates, and documentation within ERP and procurement systems.
• Support supplier performance reviews, cost reduction initiatives, inventory optimization, and continuous improvement projects across the supply chain.
• Ensure compliance with company procurement practices, approval requirements, ethical standards, safety expectations, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 2 years of purchasing, procurement, supply chain, planning, or manufacturing experience preferred.
• Experience working in a manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, chemical, aerosol, or related production environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems, purchase order management, inventory planning, supplier follow-up, and basic procurement processes.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, communication, and follow-up skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond to changing production needs, and work effectively with internal teams and external suppliers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel; experience with SAP or similar ERP systems preferred.
• APICS, CSCP, CPIM, CPSM, or related supply chain/procurement certification preferred but not required.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision benefits.
• Company-paid Life and Short-Term Disability.
• Voluntary benefits including additional life, disability, and hospital/accident insurance.
• 401k with company match.
• Paid Time Off.
• Bonus incentive programs (Note: bonuses are subject to program rules and depend on individual and organizational performance).