Overview
We are seeking a highly organized and analytical Buyer/Planner to join our Operations team in West Chicago, Illinois. This position plays a critical role in ensuring customer demand is met through effective production planning, inventory management, procurement, and supplier management. The Buyer/Planner will lead the implementation and optimization of inventory management within the company's ERP system while developing purchasing and production plans that support customer demand and operational efficiency.
The ideal candidate is a proactive supply chain professional with experience in manufacturing, ERP systems, inventory control, purchasing, and supplier relationship management. This individual will be instrumental in establishing best practices for inventory accuracy and planning processes as Temprite continues to improve its operational capabilities.
Duties:
ERP Implementation & Inventory Management
- Lead the implementation and optimization of inventory management functionality within Temprite's ERP system.
- Develop and establish inventory control processes, item master data, planning parameters, and material tracking to ensure accurate system transactions.
- Partner with Production, Engineering, and Finance to improve ERP utilization and establish standardized planning and inventory procedures.
- Develop reporting and performance metrics that provide visibility into inventory levels, shortages, supplier performance, and production requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to ERP functionality, inventory accuracy, and material planning.
Planning & Production
- Analyze demand, inventory levels, production capacity, and lead times to ensure materials are available to meet customer commitments.
- Create, release, and maintain work orders supporting the production schedule.
- Monitor material availability and proactively resolve shortages before they impact manufacturing.
- Recommend inventory strategies, safety stock levels, reorder points, and planning parameters based on demand trends.
Purchasing & Supplier Management
- Issue and manage purchase orders for raw materials and outside processing services.
- Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure quality, cost competitiveness, and on-time delivery.
- Negotiate supplier pricing, payment terms, lead times, blanket purchase agreements, and delivery schedules to improve total cost and supply reliability.
- Evaluate supplier performance using key performance metrics and implement corrective actions when necessary.
- Identify and qualify alternative suppliers to reduce supply chain risk and improve competitiveness.
- Work with suppliers to resolve delivery, quality, and capacity issues while maintaining continuity of supply.
Inventory Control
- Maintain accurate inventory records and optimize inventory investment while supporting production requirements.
- Participate in cycle count programs, inventory audits, and reconciliation activities.
- Analyze inventory trends, excess inventory, obsolete materials, and inventory turns to identify improvement opportunities.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with Customer Service, Sales, Engineering, Production, and Quality to align material availability with customer demand.
- Support new product introductions by coordinating material planning and supplier readiness.
- Prepare and present reports on purchasing, inventory, supplier performance, and planning metrics.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
- 3+ years of experience in purchasing, production planning, inventory management, or supply chain within a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience implementing or significantly improving ERP/MRP inventory management systems.
- Strong understanding of inventory control, production scheduling, procurement, and demand planning.
- Experience negotiating supplier pricing, contracts, lead times, and service agreements.
- Advanced proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel.
Pay: $70,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
