Buyer

Job Summary:

The Buyer is responsible for managing the procurement of assigned materials and services necessary for the company's operations. This involves ensuring the efficient flow of materials within the supply chain, maintaining inventory levels, managing supplier performance, and building strong relationships with suppliers. Effective communication with various departments such as production, receiving, quality, accounting, logistics, and engineering is crucial to fulfill customer orders and meet production needs.

Essential Functions:

• Plan and organize assigned purchased materials and services according to product build requirements and MRP recommendations. Experience with Syspro a plus.
• Source assigned materials, components, and services for production and operations, and identify alternate suppliers when current sources cannot meet cost, quality, or delivery requirements.
• Prepare and issue requests for quotation (RFQs), and evaluate supplier quotes based on price, quality, lead time, and delivery performance for assigned materials and or services.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and delivery terms with suppliers to secure costs favorable to the Organization.
• Identify and onboard new suppliers and maintain the approved supplier list in accordance with company procedures.
• Use the ERP/MRP system to place, change, and track purchase orders accurately and on time.
• Obtain supplier order confirmations and expedite past-due or at-risk orders to prevent production shortages.
• Coordinate inbound freight with logistics department and communicate delivery delays to affected departments and internal customers.
• Communicate with Engineering on assigned material specifications, and new product introductions to manage material transitions and avoid obsolete stock.
• Provide demand forecasting for assigned commodities by analyzing historical data and market trends to forecast future demand.
• Maintain inventory levels to assigned commodities to prevent stockouts and avoid excessive holding costs, and identify excess or obsolete material.
• Support inventory team and accuracy through cycle counts and variance reviews with inventory team.
• Track supplier performance, including on-time delivery, quality, and lead time, and communication issues to the Purchasing Manager.
• Partner with receiving and accounting to resolve nonconforming material, shortages, over-shipments, and supplier returns via credits (RMA/RTV).
• Investigate and resolve invoice discrepancies in collaboration with accounting.
• Maintain accurate supplier, pricing, lead-time, and item data in the ERP system.
• Collect and maintain purchasing documentation, including purchase orders, supplier agreements, and material certifications, where required.
• Track cost savings and purchase price variance (PPV) and recommend cost-reduction opportunities.