Buyer/Planner

Key Responsibilities

• Create and manage purchase orders while maintaining strong supplier relationships
• Negotiate pricing, lead times, and purchasing terms to achieve cost and service objectives
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess inventory
• Monitor supplier performance, including on-time delivery, quality, and responsiveness
• Support engineering changes, new product launches, supplier PPAP activities, and quality initiatives
• Manage supplier and part master data within the ERP/MRP system
• Identify and resolve material shortages, delivery issues, and inventory discrepancies
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Quality, Shipping, and Receiving to ensure uninterrupted operations
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to inventory management, purchasing processes, and supply chain performance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent purchasing/planning experience
• 3+ years of purchasing, planning, materials management, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems for purchasing and production planning
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills
• Knowledge of inventory management principles including MRP, Kanban, EOQ, cycle counting, and inventory control
• Experience working with suppliers, purchase orders, and production schedules
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

Preferred Experience

• In automotive, composites, plastics, or industrial manufacturing
• Supporting APQP, PPAP, or engineering change processes
• Forklift certification or willingness to obtain certification
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement initiatives