Purpose:
The Junior Buyer supports the procurement and supply chain functions by managing material requirements, maintaining supplier relationships, and ensuring timely delivery of materials to support production and business operations. This role works closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders to support inventory management, cost savings initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts while contributing to the overall efficiency and profitability of the organization.
Responsibilities:
- Purchase material requirements from approved suppliers based on demand generated through the Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system for assigned commodities.
- Place purchase orders to support material and service requirements from cross-functional departments.
- Maintain and manage supply chain master data within the company’s enterprise management systems.
- Audit, maintain, and continuously improve procurement data and reporting to support data-driven decision making, process improvements, and risk identification.
- Coordinate invoice discrepancy resolution with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure timely payment processing.
- Monitor inventory levels of assigned commodities and support inventory turn and working capital objectives.
- Track supplier delivery commitments and communicate status updates to internal stakeholders.
- Expedite and escalate material deliveries to address production shortages, schedule changes, or supply disruptions.
- Identify and support process improvement initiatives to strengthen supply chain performance and operational efficiency.
- Develop and maintain positive supplier and internal relationships through collaboration, professionalism, trust, and integrity.
- Support supplier quotation activities by facilitating RFQs, analyzing supplier proposals, and assisting with cost reduction and sourcing initiatives.
- Assist in monitoring supplier performance and support corrective actions as required.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives related to procurement processes, inventory management, and supplier performance.
Qualifications:
- Associate’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
- Associate degree with 2+ years of procurement, planning, or supply chain experience considered.
- CPSM, APICS, or related professional certification preferred.
- 1–2 years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment preferred; internship or co-op experience considered for recent graduates.
- Understanding of supply chain processes, purchasing principles, and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems.
- Experience working with ERP systems and maintaining procurement-related master data preferred.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Effective communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments and supplier organizations.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau preferred.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to work independently while supporting team objectives.
Key Relationships:
Reports to: Supply Chain Manager / Purchasing Manager
Internal: Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Operations Teams
External: Suppliers, Service Providers, and Logistics Partners
