Buyer *ONSITE

About the role

The Buyer is responsible for acquiring materials, supplies, and services, and placing purchase orders for goods with standard costs and quoted discounts already in place. This role involves reviewing requisitions and proposals from vendors to negotiate contracts, evaluating new supply sources, and assessing the suitability of materials offered. The Buyer maintains records related to cost, delivery, performance, and inventory levels, and collaborates across teams to achieve business objectives with a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence.

Williams Distributing Co. and Shoemaker Inc., part of Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc., is a leading wholesale distributor in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, specializing in HVAC equipment and residential products such as Kitchen and Bath, Hearth, and Garage Doors.

Responsibilities

• Tactical and strategic commodity responsibilities across multiple production locations.
• Supplier development and directing staff in specific purchasing activities.
• Quality initiatives, including DPPM, CAN's, SO's, FAI's, and addressing line rejects.
• Delivery and inventory management (SOT, DOT, DOS, inventory goals, long lead-time supplier programs, and obsolescence).
• Cost management, including purchase orders, AP issues, supplier reduction, and savings initiatives.
• General supplier maintenance, ensuring system and file data accuracy.
• Managing engineering and program changes.
• Limited travel for SPI meetings.
• Use computers to organize and locate inventory, and operate spreadsheet and word processing software.
• Negotiate prices, discount terms, and transportation arrangements for merchandise.
• Confer with sales and purchasing personnel to gather information about customer needs and preferences.
• Examine, select, order, and purchase merchandise at the most favorable price while ensuring quality, quantity, and specification requirements are met.
• Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, and economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns and determine inventory needs.
• Set or recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, and selling prices for merchandise.
• Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
• Interview and work closely with vendors to obtain and develop desired products.
• Conduct staff meetings with sales personnel to introduce new merchandise.
• Recommend and support implementation of buying strategies that promote cost-effective purchasing decisions and increase speed to market.
• Exposure to all facets of the purchasing process, including commodities, materials, components, tooling, and capital equipment used in manufacturing and assembly.
• Manage new supplier development to ensure the supply base meets company requirements through market and company research.
• Manage the sourcing process, including preparation and issuance of Requests for Quotation, vendor communications, progress tracking, negotiation of commercial terms, and preparation of quote summary/evaluation documents.
• Conduct in-depth supplier pricing analysis to ensure competitive pricing.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of purchasing standards and procedures.
• Manage and evaluate supplier performance metrics and project timing.
• Ensure all purchasing activities are managed within budget while maintaining high ethical standards.
• Manage commercial correspondence related to suppliers, including issuance of contracts and purchase orders.
• Identify and develop areas for continuous improvement and negotiate cost-reduction agreements.
• Develop strategic plans and objectives, collaborating with other departments to maximize program profitability.
• Participate in additional projects and activities as needed.

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in a high-volume, low-cost purchasing environment.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment and with MRP systems.
• Experience in both foreign and domestic sourcing with strong negotiating skills.
• Good working knowledge of MRP, vendor partnering, supplier certification, development processes, and lead-time reduction.
• Experience with quality programs and processes.
• Familiarity with EDI implementation and supplier scheduling is a plus.
• Effective communication and negotiation skills, considering the global nature of today’s market and supply base.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with customers, vendors, and employees.
• Effective organizational and time management skills; ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks successfully.
• Ability to interact with personnel in manufacturing (factory) settings.
• Experience interacting with all aspects of a business (Engineering, Quality, Materials, Logistics, Sales & Marketing).
• Well-honed analytical, deductive reasoning, and strong quantitative and mathematical abilities.
• Experience managing multiple suppliers with over 100 part numbers; ability to quantify this complexity.
• Inventory and/or quality management training/certification (e.g., APICS, Six Sigma, Audit) is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Management, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field.

Schedule

Domestic and foreign travel may be involved – estimated at 15%.

Reports To

Manager, Purchasing