Manufacturing Buyer / Planner
Mr. Steam | Long Island City, New York | Fully Onsite
Position Level
Experienced individual contributor
Schedule
Monday-Friday; typical hours 7:00 AM-4:00 PM or 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Compensation
Starting salary: $70,000
Primary Focus
Direct-material buying, supplier ownership, material planning, inventory control, and production continuity
The Opportunity
Mr. Steam is seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Buyer / Planner who can independently manage assigned materials from requirement through receipt. This role combines supplier-facing commercial judgment with plant-facing materials execution and is designed for an experienced operator who can protect cost, inventory accuracy, and production continuity in a lean manufacturing environment.
Core Mandate: Own assigned materials from requirement signal through supplier negotiation, purchase order, delivery, inventory accuracy, and production availability. Independently challenge unsupported pricing, surcharge, tariff, and lead-time changes, and resolve issues before they disrupt manufacturing.
What You Will Own
Convert approved material requirements into accurate purchase orders and supplier commitments with validated pricing, quantity, lead time, terms, and delivery dates.
Solicit and compare quotes; negotiate pricing, lead times, surcharges, payment or transportation terms, and recovery commitments within established authority.
Challenge supplier claims using material content, commodity movement, historical pricing, quote structure, alternative sources, and production requirements.
Manage supplier follow-up directly by phone and email, driving decisions and commitments rather than relaying messages.
Interpret demand, production schedules, inventory, lead times, minimum-order constraints, lot sizes, and open purchase orders to determine required material actions.
Identify shortages, late deliveries, demand changes, unplanned usage, scrap, or supplier-capacity issues and lead recovery before production is affected.
Coordinate priorities with production, inventory, logistics, quality, product management, and suppliers.
Participate in cycle counts and inventory reconciliation; investigate root causes when system and physical inventory do not match.
Manage or coordinate RMAs, incoming-quality issues, missing bills of lading, receipt discrepancies, and related documentation through closure.
Maintain disciplined ERP/MRP, purchasing, acknowledgement, lead-time, pricing, and inventory records so decisions are based on reliable data.
What Success Looks Like
Timing
Expected Progress
First 90 Days
Learn assigned products, components, suppliers, BOM/material relationships, ERP/MRP workflows, purchase-order controls, cycle-count routines, quality/RMA processes, and production interfaces. Independently execute routine purchasing and follow-up while applying sound judgment on challenge and escalation.
By 6 Months
Independently manage assigned suppliers and materials from requirement through receipt. Negotiate routine pricing, lead-time, surcharge, and delivery issues; maintain current commitments; and resolve predictable shortages and documentation gaps without requiring scripted supplier conversations.
By 12 Months
Own assigned material availability and supplier performance with minimal oversight. Anticipate production risks, challenge questionable increases, maintain transactional and inventory accuracy, and serve as a credible bridge across purchasing, production, inventory, quality, logistics, and vendors.
Required Experience and Capabilities
Demonstrated ownership of supplier negotiations, including personally challenging pricing, surcharges, lead times, tariffs, or other commercial changes.
Direct procurement experience in or closely connected to a manufacturing environment, with a practical understanding of how purchased materials and components affect production.
Ability to connect supplier claims to material content, component design, manufacturing process, usage, or bill-of-material logic and determine whether a charge or requirement is reasonable.
Proven end-to-end ownership of supplier or material issues, including diagnosis, action, negotiation, cross-functional coordination, and closure.
Working knowledge of material planning, inventory control, purchase-order management, and production-continuity practices.
Experience using an ERP or MRP system with disciplined maintenance of purchasing, lead-time, inventory, and supplier records.
Clear, direct communication skills and the ability to work effectively with suppliers and factory stakeholders by phone, email, and in person.
Preferred Background
Three or more years in a buyer/planner, plant buyer, materials buyer, or closely related manufacturing role.
Experience purchasing metals, stainless steel, sheet-metal components, copper-bearing components, heating elements, electrical controls, contactors, transformers, plumbing or bath products, or similar manufactured components.
Experience with supplier scorecards, cost-avoidance or savings documentation, new-product introductions, or alternate-source development.
Bachelor degree or equivalent practical experience. Proven buying ownership is more important than degree alone.
Success Profile
Productive Skepticism
Tests supplier explanations and asks what changed, when, by how much, and why.
Commercial Courage
Challenges unsupported claims and holds suppliers accountable while preserving productive relationships.
Immediate Ownership
Acts on issues directly and escalates with a recommended solution, not only a problem description.
Factory Credibility
Communicates in a practical, direct manner and validates information with the people closest to the work.
Disciplined Detail
Maintains accuracy across purchase orders, acknowledgements, inventory, delivery dates, pricing, bills of lading, and RMAs.
Learning Agility and Staying Power
Learns products and materials quickly and is motivated to build multi-year mastery of the supplier base and product line.
Work Environment and Employment Requirements
Fully onsite at Mr. Steam in Long Island City, New York, within an active manufacturing environment.
Monday-Friday schedule, typically 7:00 AM-4:00 PM or 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The role operates in a lean team with frequent supplier cost volatility, shifting material priorities, and time-sensitive production needs.
Candidates must be able to complete applicable pre-employment requirements.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. American Bath Group does not sponsor employment visas now or in the future.
Equal Employment Opportunity
American Bath Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- How many years of purchasing, buying, or materials planning experience do you have?
- Do you have experience working in a manufacturing environment?
- What ERP or MRP systems have you used for purchasing and inventory management?
- Are you legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship?
- How many years of experience do you have in manufacturing purchasing, buying, materials planning, or supply-chain operations?
- Briefly describe the direct materials or components you have purchased.
- What experience do you have with cycle counts, inventory reconciliation, receipt discrepancies, bills of lading, RMAs, or incoming-quality issues?
- This position requires direct communication with suppliers, production employees, inventory teams, quality, and logistics. Are you comfortable challenging inaccurate information and driving an issue to resolution?
- Have you personally negotiated supplier pricing, surcharges, tariffs, lead times, payment terms, or delivery commitments?
Ability to Commute:
- Long Island City, NY 11101 (Required)
Work Location: In person
