Buyer Planner

Job Posting External

Job Duties:

• Purchase Raw Materials and Finished Parts - Analyze Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) data to place purchase orders with suppliers to support production, service, and project requirements while complying with Purchasing International Standard Organization (ISO) procedures. Ensure that the correct pricing is used when issuing orders, including sizing orders to obtain optimum price breaks and minimal set up costs while maintaining acceptable inventory levels and minimizing obsolescence risk. Work closely with suppliers to confirm their ability to meet delivery dates and resolve any supply issues with support from the Sourcing Specialist.  Provide forecasts and other relevant information required by suppliers to support company’s requirements.  Monitor past due orders and work with suppliers, receiving and accounting to resolve issues. 
• Shortage Management - Monitor overdue parts and potential supply issues, and act with a high sense of urgency to resolve, working closely with the supplier, Sourcing Specialist, service, and production personnel.  Challenge suppliers to meet due dates.  Schedule and facilitate cadence update meetings as needed to receive timely, clear, concise feedback on problematic parts or suppliers.  Investigate root cause of supply issues and work with appropriate company or supplier personnel to implement preventative action. 
• Planning Analysis / Inventory Management - Monitor and adjust planning parameters to minimize inventory while providing high levels of service given lead time and reliability of supplier.  Recommend strategic inventory to protect the Company from problematic suppliers or parts risking Company usage.   Analyze actual demand, trends, and forecasts, and adjust inventory plans accordingly.  Investigate causes of slow-moving inventory and implement preventative action and disposition obsolete inventory in a cost-effective manner.  
• Supplier Communication and Management - Participate as part of a company cross-functional team for periodic reviews of “A” supplier delivery performance, or critical commodities impacting the Buyer Planner II assignments.  Monitor the material flow of target “A” suppliers to ensure optimization through our supply chain.   Develop healthy business relationships with suppliers.  Keep up to date supplier information and make periodic supplier site visits when required.
• Product Quality - Work with Supplier Quality Engineers, Inspectors, Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, and the Sourcing Specialists on existing part problems that need immediate attention/containment to minimize impact to production schedules.  Process routine Temporary Deviation Notices (TDN’s) that do not impact product form, fit, or function as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 2-4 years related experience
• Associate degree (Supply Chain or Business)
  • Non-degree considered if 6+ years of related experience along with a high school diploma or GED

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or an associate degree with three to five years of experience in material control, planning or purchasing. 
• Knowledge of Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) and SAP. 
• Good computer experience, including excellent spreadsheet skills. 
• Effective oral and written communication skills.