SENIOR COMMODITY BUYER – RESINS & PLASTICS
LOCATION: Knoxville, Tennessee - On-site; no remote. Relocation support is available depending on experience and need.
SALARY: US$85,000–US$100,000 ANNUALLY, COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE
DIRECT RESIN-PURCHASING EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED.
Candidates must have direct professional experience sourcing, negotiating, and purchasing resins for a manufacturing operation. Applicants whose purchasing experience is limited to other chemicals, plastics-related products, indirect materials, or general industrial commodities will not qualify.
THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY
PeopleFind Inc. is assisting a well-established North American manufacturer in the recruitment of a commercially astute Senior Commodity Buyer – Resins & Plastics for its Knoxville, Tennessee facility.
This is a high-impact strategic procurement position for an experienced resin buyer who understands resin markets, suppliers, pricing, cost drivers, availability, and supply-chain risk.
You will help shape resin and raw-material sourcing strategies, lead supplier negotiations, protect continuity of supply, improve material costs, and strengthen supplier performance across manufacturing operations in the United States and Canada.
This opportunity extends well beyond transactional purchasing. You will use resin-market intelligence, supplier knowledge, commercial judgment, and manufacturing requirements to make sourcing decisions that directly affect cost competitiveness and operational performance.
If you have successfully purchased resins in a manufacturing environment and are ready to assume a broader strategic commodity mandate, this position offers the opportunity to make a visible contribution within an established North American organization.
WORK LOCATION AND TRAVEL
The position is based at the company’s facility in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Travel to supplier and company locations in the United States and Canada will be required as needed.
YOUR PROCUREMENT MANDATE
Your primary responsibility will be the strategic sourcing and purchasing of resins and related production materials supporting manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada.
Your commodity portfolio may also include:
Plastics and polymers
Compounds
TiO₂
Carbon black
Chemical additives
Other production-related raw materials
You will also provide procurement support for indirect and non-production materials, MRO supplies, professional services, and capital equipment.
However, direct experience purchasing resins is essential to success in this role and is a mandatory qualification.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH
Develop and execute resin and raw-material commodity strategies that improve cost competitiveness, purchasing leverage, supply security, and supplier performance.
Monitor resin markets, pricing movements, feedstock and other cost drivers, capacity constraints, availability, lead times, and supply-chain risks.
Identify, assess, qualify, select, and manage resin and raw-material suppliers.
Lead requests for information, quotations, and proposals as part of competitive sourcing processes.
Negotiate resin pricing, payment terms, lead times, service levels, volume commitments, supply agreements, and other commercial conditions.
Evaluate sourcing alternatives using total cost of ownership, quality, capacity, technical capabilities, service, regulatory compliance, and supply risk.
Identify alternate suppliers, materials, and sourcing strategies that reduce dependency and protect continuity of supply.
Develop productive, long-term relationships with strategic resin and raw-material suppliers.
Conduct supplier visits, audits, business reviews, and formal performance evaluations.
Measure supplier performance in quality, delivery, pricing, service, responsiveness, and corrective action.
Lead cost-reduction initiatives, value-analysis activities, supplier negotiations, and cost-improvement workshops.
Use resin-market intelligence, supplier information, internal forecasts, and manufacturing requirements to guide procurement decisions.
Contribute to annual material budgets, purchasing forecasts, cost projections, and procurement performance objectives.
Prepare cost analyses, supplier comparisons, forecasts, reports, and presentations for management.
Work cross-functionally to resolve shortages, supply disruptions, material concerns, quality issues, and other procurement risks.
Partner with Procurement, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality, Sales, Technical Services, Engineering, and Operations.
Support capital-equipment purchases by reviewing requirements, evaluating suppliers, comparing proposals, and negotiating favorable commercial terms.
Maintain accurate purchasing records, contracts, specifications, quotation histories, pricing information, vendor data, and supplier-performance documentation.
Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, contractual obligations, applicable regulations, and ethical purchasing standards.
MANDATORY EXPERIENCE
To be considered, candidates must have:
Direct professional experience purchasing resins for a manufacturing organization.
Experience sourcing resin suppliers and negotiating resin pricing, terms, availability, lead times, and supply arrangements.
An understanding of resin markets, suppliers, pricing mechanisms, cost drivers, capacity, availability, and continuity-of-supply risks.
At least five years of progressive experience in procurement, purchasing, strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply management.
Procurement experience gained in plastics manufacturing, resin-dependent manufacturing, chemicals, polymers, compounds, or another directly relevant manufacturing sector.
Resin experience must involve direct purchasing or strategic sourcing responsibility. Exposure to resins through production, sales, engineering, logistics, or general chemical purchasing does not replace the required resin-procurement experience.
Applicants without direct resin-purchasing experience will not be considered.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE VALUED
The following experience would be advantageous:
Purchasing plastics, polymers, compounds, TiO₂, carbon black, chemical additives, or related production materials.
Supporting multiple manufacturing facilities or business operations.
Managing suppliers serving operations in the United States and Canada.
Purchasing indirect materials, MRO supplies, professional services, or capital equipment.
Developing and implementing commodity or category strategies.
Leading competitive quotation processes and major commercial negotiations.
Conducting supplier business reviews and managing corrective-action programs.
Leading cost-reduction, value-analysis, or supply-risk mitigation initiatives.
Negotiating purchasing contracts and supplier agreements.
TECHNICAL AND ANALYTICAL CAPABILITIES
The successful candidate will bring:
Strong knowledge of resin and plastics supply markets.
The ability to recognize resin-market trends, cost drivers, pricing risks, supply constraints, and commercial opportunities.
Strong analytical, numerical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
An understanding of total cost of ownership and supplier-risk assessment.
Working knowledge of contract law and commercial purchasing principles.
The ability to interpret technical specifications, engineering documents, blueprints, and material requirements.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
The ability to develop clear cost comparisons, supplier analyses, forecasts, reports, and management presentations.
Experience with Power BI and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is strongly preferred.
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS
You are likely to succeed in this position if you are:
A confident negotiator with sound commercial judgment.
Proactive in identifying resin supply risks, market changes, and cost-saving opportunities.
Comfortable dealing with suppliers, technical specialists, operating leaders, and senior management.
Highly organized, accurate, and attentive to detail.
Able to manage multiple sourcing projects and competing priorities independently.
An effective cross-functional collaborator.
A clear and persuasive written and verbal communicator.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Willing and able to travel as required.
EDUCATION
A bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Logistics, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred.
A professional purchasing or supply-chain designation would be an asset.
Equivalent combinations of education and directly relevant resin-procurement experience will also be considered.
RELEVANT CAREER BACKGROUNDS
Qualified candidates may currently hold a title such as:
Resin Buyer
Senior Resin Buyer
Resin Commodity Buyer
Senior Commodity Buyer
Raw Materials Buyer
Plastics and Resin Buyer
Polymer Buyer
Strategic Buyer
Senior Procurement Specialist
Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Category Manager
Commodity Manager
Purchasing Manager
Regardless of current title, candidates must have direct resin-purchasing experience.
WHY CONSIDER THIS OPPORTUNITY?
This position offers an accomplished resin-procurement professional the opportunity to assume a meaningful strategic mandate affecting suppliers, material costs, manufacturing performance, and continuity of supply across operations in the United States and Canada.
You will be able to:
Influence resin and raw-material commodity strategies.
Lead commercially important supplier negotiations.
Improve purchasing leverage and material-cost performance.
Strengthen strategic supplier relationships.
Reduce supply risk and protect manufacturing continuity.
Work closely with technical, commercial, and operational decision-makers.
Deliver measurable value to a successful North American manufacturer.
This is an opportunity to put your resin-market expertise to work in a role where your sourcing decisions and supplier strategies will have a visible business impact.
TO APPLY
Please apply through Indeed.
Or send your resume in strict confidence to:
Alonso Perez
Recruiting Partner
PeopleFind Inc.
Telephone: 1-866-477-0855, ext. 30
Email: [email protected]
CONFIDENTIALITY
All applications will be handled in the strictest confidence. No resume will be submitted to our client without the applicant’s prior knowledge and consent.
WHY PEOPLEFIND?
PeopleFind Inc. specializes in the recruitment of Manufacturing, Engineering, Skilled Trades, Operations, Accounting, Finance, Construction, Retail, and Executive professionals.
Through our affiliated recruiting partners in NPAworldwide, we collaborate with more than 500 independent recruiting firms across North America and internationally. This network provides employers and candidates with exceptional reach, speed, and access to outstanding career opportunities.
Learn more at www.peoplefindinc.com .
Charles Grossner
President, PeopleFind Inc.
Telephone: 1-866-477-0855
Email: [email protected]
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