The Buyer III is an advanced purchasing role responsible for independently managing complex suppliers, commodities, purchasing processes, and higher-impact procurement activities within established procurement procedures, approval requirements, and company policies. This position supports business continuity by leading complex purchasing execution, supplier follow-up, delivery recovery, inventory support, ERP data accuracy, and cross-functional issue resolution with limited supervision. This role is intended as an advanced execution and business process ownership level within the buying career track. The primary focus is managing higher-complexity supplier and purchasing activity, leading cross-functional coordination, resolving escalated issues, supporting process improvement, and coaching Buyer I and Buyer II team members as needed.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
-
Create, release, and manage purchase orders for complex assigned suppliers, items, commodities, programs, or business processesin accordance withestablished procurement procedures, approval requirements, and company policies.
-
Reviewpurchasingsignals, demand requirements, planning worksheets, forecasts, inventory positions, supplier capacity, and customer commitments to determineappropriate purchasingactions within assigned scope.
-
Lead follow-up on supplier acknowledgements, promised delivery dates, open order status, shipment timing, receipt activity, and high-prioritypurchasingexceptions.
-
Independently resolve complex late, missing, inconsistent, or incomplete supplier responses and escalate significant risks to Buyer IV+, the Procurement Manager, or other designated leaders asappropriate.
-
Support continuity of supply by proactively managing supplier commitments, inventory constraints, shortage risk, customer impact, and recovery actions.
-
Serve as the primarysuppliercontact for assigned complex suppliers, commodities, processes, or purchasing responsibilities.
-
Communicate professionally and consistently with suppliersregardingorder status, delivery commitments, documentation requirements, pricing questions, recovery actions, and escalated issue resolution.
-
Providetimelyand clear updates to internal stakeholdersregardingsupplier risks, late orders, shortages, customer impacts, recovery plans, and recommended next steps.
-
Use established communication standards, escalation paths, and documentation practices to ensure supplier and internal follow-up is complete, visible, and actionable.
-
Coach Buyer I and Buyer II team members on supplier communication, follow-up expectations, escalation discipline, and process compliance when needed.
-
Enter,maintain, review, and correct purchasing data in the ERP system, including purchase order details, supplier responses, promised dates,receiptinformation, item notes, pricing, and other required documentation.
-
Review assigned purchasing data for completeness and accuracy and resolve data issues within established authority.
-
IdentifyERP setup, item master, supplier, lead time, pricing, planning, or purchasing data issues that mayimpactexecution, inventory, production, or supplier performance.
-
Partner withappropriate internalteams to correct recurring data issues and improve the reliability ofpurchasingsignals, supplier information, and reporting outputs.
-
Maintainaccuratetransactional records to support production planning, supplier communication, receiving, invoicing, reporting, procurement performance tracking, and business decision-making.
-
Research and resolve complex receiving and invoicing discrepancies by reviewing purchase orders, supplier documentation, receipt status, pricing, supplier communication, and supporting records.
-
Coordinate with suppliers, Accounts Payable, Receiving, Planning, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and other internal teams to resolvepurchasingand supplier-related issuesin a timely manner.
-
Lead issue resolution for assigned complex suppliers, high-impact orders, customer-sensitive requirements, or recurring transactional problems.
-
Escalate issues requiring negotiation, commercial decisions, supplier performance action, contract review, or leadership direction.
-
Support follow-up activity related to missing confirmations,receiptmismatches, invoice holds, pricing discrepancies, late orders, supplier recovery, and other purchasing exceptions.
-
Lead or actively support process improvement activities, procurement standard work development, and team problem-solving efforts.
-
Identifyrecurring issues, supplier patterns, system gaps, workflow inefficiencies, or reporting needs within assigned work and recommend improvements.
-
Support implementation of improved purchasing processes, supplier follow-up standards, documentation practices, reporting routines, and escalation methods.
-
Coach Buyer I and Buyer II team members by sharing knowledge, reinforcing standard work, and supportingdevelopmentofpurchasingexecution skills.
-
Support additional procurement tasks, projects, reporting, training, and administrative activities as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
-
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
-
Four or more years of procurement,purchasing, supply chain, planning, manufacturing, operations, or related experience preferred.
-
Experience managing suppliers, purchase orders, inventory support, delivery performance, ERP transactions, and purchasing issue resolution.
-
Demonstrated ability to manage complexpurchasingactivitywith limited supervision.
-
Strong attention to detail and ability to follow and reinforce defined procurement procedures.
-
Ability to communicate professionally with suppliers, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
-
Proficiencywith Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook and Excel.
-
Working knowledge of ERP systems,purchasingreports, supplier records, demand signals, and procurement procedures.
-
Strong organization, follow-up discipline, prioritization, problem-solving, and ability to manage multiple complex responsibilities.
Preferred Qualifications:
-
Experience in a manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, operations, or industrial environment.
-
Experience with ERP/MRP systems, planning worksheets, supplier recovery, inventory support, purchase order management, and supplier performance follow-up.
-
Working understanding of inventory, production support, supplier lead times, demand planning, material flow, and customer impact.
-
Experience supporting receiving discrepancies, invoiceholds, pricing updates, supplier documentation, item/vendor data maintenance, or process improvement activities.
-
Experience coaching, training, or supporting less experienced buyers or procurement team members.
-
Progress toward or completion of CPIM Part 1, CPIM, CPSM, oradditionalsupply chain certification preferred.
About Us:
At TAPCO, our mission is to enhance transportation and personal safety in our communities through innovative solutions and products. We are driven to save lives! Are you looking for a career where you can earn a great wage based on experience and performance, your contributions are recognized, and you will have growth potential? Then choose TAPCO!
As an EEO Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, veteran or disability status or other acceptable taglines in all printed employment advertisements.
If any assistance is needed with the application process, please contact TAPCO HR at 800-236-446
