Buyer Planner

Buyer Planner

The Buyer Planner will coordinate with Operations to effectively manage the scheduled purchase of raw materials, complex materials, castings, tooling, and related requirements to support the manufacturing process. This position will support the plant with the purchase of outside processing services, hardware, and MRO items.

Core functions include ensuring continuous supply of required goods and materials, analyzing material demand and coordinating targeted material flow, collaborating cross-functionally to align forecasts, production schedules, and raw material requirements while managing demand variability, actively participating in driving improvement projects aligned towards corporate initiatives, preparing purchase orders in line with final negotiations with selected suppliers aligned with organizational goals, coordinating with stakeholders and suppliers in expediting process to ensure critical delivery of requirements, monitoring and controlling inventory accuracy, defining and managing safety stock, inventory policies, and material strategies to balance service levels, cost, and working capital, procuring materials that support production requirements and new product launches while ensuring timely deliveries of the proper material, identifying, assessing, and actively managing raw material supply risks (lead times, single-source items, capacity constraints, geopolitical or weather exposure), monitoring supplier capacity and performance trends, maintaining accurate material master data and planning parameters to ensure reliable MRP outputs and execution, actively participating in supporting supplier development initiatives, developing new suppliers as required, coordinating with Quality Assurance to monitor and maintain supplier quality performance, discussing unacceptable or inferior quality materials with quality assurance departments and taking corrective action, developing ideas and strategies to improve operational efficiency, add value, aid business performance and work towards a strategy of continuous improvement - identify and drive cost saving opportunities, researching new suppliers.

Qualifications and requirements include a Bachelor's degree required, 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment required, APICS Certification is preferred (CPIM/CSCP), Lean Six Sigma Training is preferred, skilled in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, familiarity with ERP systems and working knowledge of using MRP, ability to create and display information in table and chart format, ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists, ability to interpret a variety of instructions, ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, ability to respond to complaints, ability to effectively present information to top management, ability to write, speak, and comprehend English, occasional travel may be required.

Competencies include synthesizing complex or diverse information, collecting and researching data, using intuition and experience to complement data, designing workflows and procedures, using reason even when dealing with emotional topics, consistently at work and on time, arriving at meetings and appointments on time, speaking clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, listening and getting clarification, responding well to questions, demonstrating group presentation skills, participating in meetings, communicating calmly and effectively in stressful situations, effectively applying active listening skills, working within approved budget, developing and implementing cost saving measures, contributing to profits and revenue, conserving organizational resources, responding promptly to customer needs, responding to requests for service and assistance, meeting commitments, following instructions, responding to management direction, taking responsibility for own actions, keeping commitments, committing to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals, completing tasks on time or notifying the appropriate person with an alternate plan, following policies and procedures, completing tasks correctly and on time, supporting organization's goals and values, supporting affirmative actions and respecting diversity, working well in group problem solving situations, demonstrating accuracy and thoroughness, looking for ways to improve and promote quality, applying feedback to improve performance, monitoring own work to ensure quality, meeting productivity standards, completing work in timely manner, striving to increase productivity, working quickly, observing safety and security procedures, reporting potentially unsafe conditions, using equipment and materials properly, balancing team and individual responsibilities, exhibiting objectivity and openness to other views, giving and welcoming feedback, contributing to building a positive team spirit, putting success of team above own interests, supporting everyone's efforts to succeed, asking for help from others when needed.

Supervisor responsibilities include individual contributor: working team member with no oversight of others and no management responsibilities.

Physical requirements include exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects, subject to activities such as stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, talking, and hearing, required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, expansive reading, visual inspection involving small defects, small parts and/or operation of machines (including inspection), using measurement devices, and/or assembly of fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes, subject to a variety of physical conditions, such as environmental conditions occurring both inside and outside, extreme heat, noise, narrow aisles or passageways, oils, atmospheric conditions, and physical hazards including moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical currently, and working on scaffolding and high places.