Sr Buyer

About the role

The Senior Buyer is a subject matter expert in materials planning and procurement, responsible for managing all aspects of purchasing components from suppliers to ensure timely delivery of parts to support production needs. This role serves as the communication and logistical link between Value Streams, Supervisors, Marketing, Master Scheduling, and Purchasing, while driving continuous improvement initiatives and fostering supplier relationships.

Essential Duties And Tasks

• Perform material requirements planning through close coordination with manufacturing personnel and external suppliers to support the Value Stream.
• Communicate priorities and schedule changes to Outside Processing Suppliers daily to align with production requirements.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers; escalate and communicate common supplier issues to Leadership, Procurement Specialists, and other Buyers.
• Act as a lead within the Value Stream and serve as a liaison between the Value Stream and the Buyer Supervisor.
• Collaborate with the Value Stream to achieve supply chain goals outlined in the value stream roadmap.
• Develop and execute inventory action plans to maintain optimal inventory levels and achieve inventory turns goals for key production components.
• Implement and train teams on pull-based replenishment systems (e.g., Kanban) to improve inventory turns and eliminate part shortages.
• Monitor supplier orders to ensure timely shipment and delivery to support production schedules.
• Drive improvements in supplier performance, including fill rates, quality, and lead times, to meet product mix and production needs.
• Utilize Kaizen and other continuous improvement methodologies to enhance lead times, streamline material flow, and improve organizational efficiency.
• Obtain quotes from suppliers for production materials and Outside Processing operations.
• Negotiate blanket purchase orders and pursue cost reduction initiatives to mitigate adverse Purchase Price Index (PPI) impacts.
• Collaborate with sourcing teams to ensure alignment with best practices, low-cost region sourcing, supplier assessment, and management strategies.
• Publish and maintain a daily shortage report to communicate current delivery information from suppliers.
• Resolve invoice discrepancies promptly to maintain smooth operations.
• Manage supplier quality through the Non-Conforming Report (NCR) process, ensuring minimal production impact by addressing issues with Manufacturing Engineering, Procurement Quality, Supervisors, and Suppliers.
• Work closely with suppliers and Procurement Quality Engineers to resolve Corrective Action Requests (CARs) generated from NCRs.
• Obtain Return Merchandise Authorizations (RMAs) and process return transactions in Oracle (ERP System); follow the Debit Memo process for supplier rework of discrepant materials.
• Support compliance with company policies, including sustainability and ethical sourcing initiatives.
• Participate in cross-functional projects, including system upgrades, process improvements, and supplier development programs.
• Perform any additional tasks assigned by supervisors or management.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years of experience buying in a similar industry or demonstrated equivalent knowledge of supply chain function through work experience or school
• Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the manufacturing process used in the operating unit of assignment; Working knowledge of buying, and ordering procedures; Working knowledge of production planning, material requirements planning and Kanban systems; Working knowledge of computer systems that support production, e.g., inventory control, purchasing, production scheduling and Materials Requirement Planning (MRP)
• Skills/Abilities: Requires well-developed skill in communicating with others. Proficiency in Excel and Word and ability to work with Access databases; Ability to coordinate materials and production schedules with multiple teams, solve urgent problems associated with the manufacture of products and document and communicate production outcomes and trends Ability to perform math and logic computations requiring sequencing of times, critical incidents, and numeric informationAbility to negotiate changes with vendors and manufacturing teams
• Education/Certification: BA or BS degree in Supply Chain, Business, or Materials-related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of production planning, material requirements planning and Kanban systems
• Working knowledge of computer systems that support production, e.g., inventory control, purchasing, production scheduling and Materials Requirement Planning (MRP)