Senior Buyer

Job Summary:

The Senior Buyer is a subject matter expert in materials planning and is responsible for managing all aspects of purchasing components from suppliers in order to assure timely delivery of parts to support production needs.  In addition, the Senior Buyer is the communication and logistical link between Value Streams, Supervisors, Marketing, Master Scheduling, and Purchasing. Position requires to be onsite Monday-Friday.

Essential Functions:

• Perform material requirements planning through high interaction/coordination with manufacturing personnel and external suppliers to support the Value Stream

• Communicate priorities and schedule changes to Outside Processing Suppliers on a daily basis to support changes in production requirements

• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with suppliers; Communicate common supplier problems with Leadership, Procurement Specialists and other Buyers

• Act as a lead in the Value Stream and as a liaison between the Value Stream and the Buyer Supervisor

• Partner with the Value Stream to drive supply chain goals through the value stream roadmap

• Share best practices across the group and willingly take on additional work

• Own and drive an inventory action plan to maintain proper inventory levels and achieve turns goals of key production components

• Train and facilitate the upgrade to a pull-based replenishment system (Kanban) to improve inventory turns and eliminate part shortages

• Monitor supplier orders to assure they are shipped on a timely basis to support the Value Stream

• Improve supplier fill rates, quality, and lead times to fit product mix and needs

• Use Kaizen to continuously improve lead-times, smooth material flow and improve organizational efficiency

• Obtain quotes from suppliers for production material and Outside Processing operations

• Negotiate blanket purchase orders and pursues cost reduction initiatives that eliminate adverse Purchase Price Index (PPI)

• Interact with sourcing teams to ensure best practices and greatest leverage in procurement, low-cost region sourcing, supplier assessment & management

• Publish daily shortage report to communicate current delivery information from suppliers

• Resolve invoice discrepancies on a timely basis

• Manage supplier quality through the Non-Conforming Report (NCR) Process; Minimize production impact by ensuring discrepant materials are addressed with Manufacturing Engineering, Procurement Quality, Supervisors and Suppliers

• Work closely with suppliers and Procurement Quality Engineers to resolve Corrective Action Requests (CARs) generated from NCRs

• Obtain Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA), and processes return transactions in Oracle (ERP System); Follow Debit Memo process for supplier rework of discrepant materials

• Any other task assigned by supervisor or management

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience: 8+ years of experience buying in a similar industry or demonstrated equivalent knowledge of supply chain function through work experience or school. BA or BS degree in Supply Chain, Business, or Materials-related field may substitute for 3 years of experience.
• Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the manufacturing process used in the operating unit of assignment; Working knowledge of buying, and ordering procedures; Working knowledge of production planning, material requirements planning and Kanban systems; Working knowledge of computer systems that support production, e.g., inventory control, purchasing, production scheduling and Materials Requirement Planning (MRP)
• Skills/Abilities: Requires well-developed skill in communicating with others. Proficiency in Excel and Word and ability to work with Access databases; Ability to coordinate materials and production schedules with multiple teams, solve urgent problems associated with the manufacture of products and document and communicate production outcomes and trends;