Junior Buyer

Buyer Position

Our client is seeking a motivated buyer to join their team in Columbus, Ohio. The buyer will be responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and negotiating materials, components, equipment, and services to support manufacturing operations and customer requirements. This position plays a key role in ensuring quality, delivery, and cost objectives are met while collaborating closely with engineering, estimating, manufacturing, sales, accounting, and project teams.

The ideal candidate will have experience in purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain planning within a manufacturing environment and possess strong communication, analytical, and vendor management skills.

Essential Responsibilities

• Source, purchase, and negotiate materials, equipment, components, and services from approved suppliers.
• Evaluate, select, and develop vendor relationships to ensure quality, delivery, and cost objectives are achieved.
• Issue and manage purchase orders while monitoring supplier performance.
• Collaborate with engineering, estimating, manufacturing, accounting, sales, and project teams to support business objectives.
• Act as a liaison between internal departments, vendors, jobsites, and remote offices.
• Prepare detailed cost analyses and cost tables to support budgeting, bidding, outsourcing, and estimating activities.
• Assist in estimating fabricated mechanical and electrical components.
• Support annual purchasing initiatives focused on cost reduction, quality improvement, and supplier performance.
• Ensure compliance with company procurement policies and procedures.
• Track and resolve supplier delivery, pricing, and quality issues.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records and documentation within the ERP/MRP system.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of 1 year of experience in purchasing, sourcing, procurement, supply chain, or production planning.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to support internal stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as SAP.
• Experience sourcing fabricated mechanical and electrical components.
• Exposure to vendor negotiations, supplier development, and cost analysis.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, bills of materials (BOMs), and procurement best practices.

What We're Looking For

• Ambitious and eager to learn.
• Self-motivated with a strong work ethic.
• Team-oriented and collaborative.
• Detail-oriented with excellent follow-through.
• Ability to build strong relationships with suppliers and internal customers.