Title: Sourcing & Inventory Buyer
Location: Ham Lake, MN
Job Type: Contract-to-Hire (6 Month contract period)
Compensation: $28.00 - $36.00/hr
Industry: Manufacturing
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About the Role
We are partnering with a well-established custom manufacturing company to fill a Sourcing & Inventory Buyer position at their Ham Lake, MN facility. With 45 years in business, our client specializes in custom sewn products for the medical device and Department of Defense markets, where quality and precision are paramount.
The Sourcing & Inventory Buyer is a critical position responsible for material availability, supplier management, inventory accuracy, and sourcing support across ongoing production and new projects. This role serves as a single point of accountability for how materials move — from supplier to production to customer — while balancing cost, flow, and service.
Job Description
The Sourcing & Inventory Buyer supports the company's materials and fulfillment operations from supplier sourcing through customer delivery, ensuring materials and services are available at the right cost, quality, and timing to support production, on-time delivery, and business growth. Key areas of responsibility include:
Sourcing & Procurement
- Execute supply chain strategies, sourcing, and purchasing activities.
- Identify, qualify, and onboard suppliers to support growth and mitigate risk.
- Establish and manage primary and secondary vendors.
- Lead supplier negotiations for cost, quality, and lead times.
- Evaluate supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, and compliance.
- Support sourcing for new product development and customer programs.
- Own supplier relationships and maintain ongoing communication.
- Monitor material pricing trends and drive cost optimization.
Inbound Logistics
- Ensure materials are received, organized, and flow effectively to the production floor.
- Support receiving, inspection, and material intake processes.
- Coordinate supplier deliveries and inbound scheduling.
- Ensure materials are staged and allocated to the floor (including water spider responsibilities).
- Improve material flow from receiving to production.
- Resolve inbound issues such as late deliveries, shortages, and quality concerns.
Inventory Management
- Confirm raw material, WIP, and finished goods inventory before placing reorders.
- Maintain stocking strategies, including min/max, safety stock, and reorder points.
- Balance supply with demand to avoid shortages and excess.
- Monitor physical storage capacity, ensuring inventory levels and layouts align with available space.
- Escalate and assist with storage, staging, and material flow to reduce congestion and improve floor efficiency.
- Ensure inventory data accuracy within the ERP system.
- Partner with Operations to align inventory with production needs.
Customer Delivery & Service
- Support on-time delivery performance.
- Identify and resolve delivery- or material-related issues.
- Provide visibility into risks, delays, and constraints.
- Support a strong, consistent customer experience.
- Partner with Sales and Operations to meet customer expectations.
Cross-Functional Responsibilities
- Translate production schedules into material requirements and ensure materials are available ahead of production start.
- Identify risks early (lead times, constraints) and mitigate proactively to reduce reliance on expediting.
- Identify cost-out opportunities and track/report on supplier performance, on-time delivery, inventory levels and turns, and material cost trends.
- Support job costing accuracy and margin improvement.
- Maintain a digital sourcing library and ensure compliance with QMS / ISO requirements.
- Collaborate with Finance on budget alignment, cash flow and payment timing, and inventory vs. working capital trade-offs.
- Support the Materials Handler and Shipping & Receiving functions with clear, high-priority communication and accountability.
- Perform miscellaneous projects and additional tasks as requested by management.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience in sourcing, purchasing, or supply chain, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience with supplier negotiation and cost management.
- ERP proficiency with strong data discipline and accuracy.
- Strong problem-solving, multitasking, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
- Strong communication and influencing skills.
- A resourceful, hands-on approach with a willingness to pitch in wherever needed in a small-company environment.
- A continuous improvement mindset and a positive, "can-do" attitude.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including:
- Walking throughout the office and navigating around furniture and equipment.
- Standing and/or sitting for extended periods.
- Occasional stooping, kneeling, and walking.
- Use of hands, arms, legs, eyes, and voice.
- Excellent eyesight and hearing, with or without correction.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supporting medical device, defense, or other highly regulated industries.
- Experience working in ISO 13485 or similarly regulated environments.
- Knowledge of materials such as fabrics, foam, plastics, and hardware.
- Understanding of quality and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Familiarity with JobBOSS ERP or a comparable manufacturing ERP system.
Benefits
Dahl Consulting is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees that will allow you to choose the best coverage to meet your family’s needs. For details, please review the DAHL Benefits Summary: https://www.dahlconsulting.com/benefits-w2fta/.
How to Apply
Take the first step on your new career path!
To submit yourself for consideration for this role, simply click the apply button and complete our mobile-friendly online application. Once we’ve reviewed your application details, a recruiter will reach out to you with next steps!
Equal Opportunity Statement
As an equal opportunity employer, Dahl Consulting welcomes candidates of all backgrounds and experiences to apply. If this position sounds like the right opportunity for you, we encourage you to take the next step and connect with us. We look forward to meeting you!
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