SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent purchasing experience will be considered in place of a degree.
- Minimum five years’ purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment. Experience leading sourcing projects or supplier negotiations preferred.
- Professional certification (CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent) a plus, or willingness to pursue one.
- Strong negotiation skills, including experience negotiating pricing, terms, and supply agreements with direct material suppliers.
- Familiarity with metals markets, particularly aluminum, or the ability to come up to speed on extrusion and mill lead-time dynamics.
- Basic blueprint skills required; able to read drawings and material specifications well enough to source and substitute correctly.
- Understanding of manufacturing and inventory system management – ERP/MRP experience required.
- Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables and lookups. Proficiency in MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Outlook.
- Understanding of transportation/logistics operations – landed cost/incoterms and freight mode selection.
- Understanding of contract law, purchase order terms and conditions, and purchasing regulations.
- Analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to compare supplier quotes on a total-cost basis rather than piece price alone.
- Excellent organizational skills with ability to prioritize multiple projects and execute accordingly.
- Willingness to serve as a resource to less experienced buyers and to help document purchasing standards for the department.
- Ability to communicate with co-workers, management, internal and external customers, and others in a courteous and professional manner.
MAJOR JOB FUNCTIONS
· Purchases, monitors, and maintains materials necessary to support production requirements to maintain volume requirements and fulfill customer requirements.
· Leads sourcing for assigned commodities – issues RFQs, evaluates bids, and recommends awards based on total cost of ownership rather than piece price alone.
· Negotiates directly with material suppliers on annual pricing, supply agreements, tooling, minimum order quantities, and payment terms.
· Identifies cost reduction opportunities by reviewing supplier performance and material options to meet and/or exceed the cost reduction initiatives; maintains a documented savings pipeline and reports results against target.
· Develops and manages the supplier base – qualifies new sources and works toward dual-source coverage on critical materials to protect production against supply disruption.
· Tracks supplier performance through scorecards and periodic reviews, and partners with Quality and Operations on corrective action for delivery and quality issues.
· Maintains inventory settings for purchased materials – order quantities, min/max levels, safety stock, and lead times – balancing production coverage against working capital and inventory turns.
· Expedites suppliers with late delivery and escalates as required to protect customer commitments.
· Oversees the cycle-counting process with the purpose of eliminating stock losses to avoid downtime, optimizing reporting accuracy of raw materials, and preventing financial losses during annual physical inventory.
· Provides material cost input for quoting, new product introduction, and engineering changes.
· Participates in annual budget preparation by providing input in the area of cost outs, material cost forecasts, and commodity trends.
· Serves as a resource to buyers and purchasing support staff, and helps develop and document standard purchasing procedures.
· Conducts supplier site visits to optimize current relationships, determine future objectives, and assist in the resolution of production, quality, and/or delivery problems.
Pay: $80,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
