Buyer

The Buyer role is responsible to purchase at the most favorable price consistent with quality, quantity, delivery and other factors, raw materials, outside services, equipment, machinery and/or supplies for the operation of the organization. Prepare bid specifications, receive bids, and make purchases of commodities or goods where the financial impact is moderate. Work directly in support of line operations and in collaboration with department managers, engineers, or operations staff. Participate in the selection of vendor sources and has considerable latitude in determining acceptable price.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Analyze existing demand to build purchase orders for production demand using KanBans and vendor consignment wherever applicable.
• Negotiate cost reductions with suppliers.
• Select and suggest suppliers based on research, past performance, product offerings, service, etc.
• Support new product builds, searching for appropriate raw materials and managing deliveries to meet project timelines.
• Support machine builds, tooling, and maintenance managing the purchase of materials specified by Operations setting up KanBan as appropriate.
• Perform supplier visits, including supplier audits.
• Maximize inventory turns through lead time reductions and minimal order quantities while still ensuring material is available to the floor.
• Provide forecasts to supply chain by converting sales demand into material demand utilizing bills of materials, yield, etc.
• Alert appropriate departments of changes to delivery schedule, price, or supplier change requests.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Associates degree or at least 3 years of applicable experience required (Bachelor’s degree preferred)
• Advanced skills in supplier negotiations regarding price, delivery/MOQ/lead times, quality specifications and payment terms
• Experience with Consignment & Supplier Inventory
• Advanced computer skills including Windows Office Suite, specifically Excel skills (pivot tables, VLookup, data analysis)
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to use AI tools to improve productivity, decision-making, work quality, and to reduce costs
• The successful candidate must be able to identify appropriate AI use cases and critically evaluate AI-generated outputs
• Proficiency in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or similar)
• Attention to detail and accuracy with excellent organizational skills is necessary
• Exceptional problem-solving, verbal and written communication, and time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and work well with others
• Fluent in English