Sr. Buyer/Planner

The Senior Buyer/Planner will have complete responsibility for procuring materials, components, supplies, and services.  Obtains quotes, negotiates purchase agreements, and maintains supplier relationship. Monitors supplier performance. Takes ownership for cost, inventory levels, on time delivery, and quality. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on, energetic, detail oriented and tenacious go-getter about managing materials.

Manage Kanban system for assigned commodities and suppliers. Negotiate and implement Kanban arrangements with suppliers through consigned inventory.  Minimize liability and EOZ risk by monitoring pull sizes to ensure they are aligned to current customer demand.

Provides for the continual improvement of inventory control systems to track and reduce inventory levels and increase turns, while maintaining sufficient levels to meet customer requested delivery dates. 

Manages materials control/order policy, finding opportunities to improve processes including the materials forecasts and order policy/lot sizes in order to effectively mirror our processes and anticipate material requirements while maintaining low inventory levels.

Uses existing ERP system and other data warehouse devices for effectively managing inventory.

Highly involved in designing our manufacturing pull system and a member of the Lean Team.

Develop and maintain a perpetual inventory system that guaranties agreement between the on-hand balance counts in the computer system and the actual on-hand balances in the physical plant.

Responsible for proactively improving supplier quality and OTD.

Coordinates vendor searches, selection and development of new suppliers, including being involved in New Product development supplier sourcing process.

Negotiates major purchasing contracts, blanket orders and long term purchase agreements taking into account liability.

Establishes mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers to ensure high quality goods, reliable delivery dates, and reasonable and consistent pricing. Participate and provide leadership in the implementation and usage of PFEP and PPSM.

Utilize MRP software to manage "push" items and ensure on time delivery. Optimize inventory investment and service levels.

Monitor part level inventory turns and where required establish, implement and monitor countermeasures to ensure inventory turns goals are met.

Manage rejected materials by communicating with suppliers and quality control.  Obtain approvals to return, rework or sort materials, Prepare appropriate paperwork and input or assume responsibility for the input of necessary paperwork.

Monitor the on time performance of suppliers and review results to them and management monthly.  Develop and implement action plans with the supply chain engineer to improve the quality and on time performance of suppliers while maintaining or reducing costs.

Identify, evaluate, and recommend potential new opportunities for cost reduction with existing and new commodities or suppliers based on total cost of ownership.  Identify and quantify related costs from sourcing, procurement, delivery, storage, usage and disposal.

Actively pursue the elimination of waste in the supply chain by eliminating non valued added steps in the process, improving quality and championing standardization.

Five years of managing materials in a manufacturing environment.  

BS degree in Business Administration, Engineering or a related field, or equivalent.

Demonstrated background in inventory planning and control systems emphasizing LEAN manufacturing and

pull/Kanban principles. 

Strong skills in managing projects (PMI certification as plus)

Thorough knowledge of MRP/ERP systems.

Demonstrated experience in managing procurement initiatives

Certifications in Material Management, APICS and/or LEAN Supply Chain preferred.

Experience working in a matrix environment.

Experience purchasing from Low Cost Regions preferred