Buyer Planner

Job Title: Supply Chain Specialist

Job Description

The Supply Chain Specialist coordinates and optimizes material planning, scheduling, and inventory management to support customer demand and production objectives in a manufacturing environment. This role manages MRO purchasing activities, oversees shop orders, and serves as a key liaison between Operations, Customer Service, the Master Scheduler, and shop floor personnel. The position focuses on maintaining accurate inventory records, resolving supply chain issues, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives to ensure timely deliveries and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and optimize material planning, scheduling, and inventory management to meet customer demand and production objectives.

• Manage MRO purchasing activities, including maintaining and updating supplier data.

• Oversee the release and closure of shop orders, ensuring proper material consumption and accurate operational labor application.

• Monitor progress against production schedules, identifying deviations or bottlenecks and taking corrective actions as needed.

• Engage with shop floor personnel to identify, address, and resolve supply chain issues in a timely manner.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Customer Service, and the Master Scheduler, to communicate scheduling issues and resolve supply chain challenges.

• Serve as a communication bridge between departments to ensure timely deliveries and alignment with production and business objectives.

• Adjust plans proactively to accommodate changes in scope, priorities, unforeseen conditions, or resource availability.

• Maintain accurate inventory records through inventory movements, adjustments, cycle counting, and scrap reconciliation.

• Support and participate in continuous improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing planning, scheduling, and inventory management processes.

• Facilitate seamless interaction between purchasing and materials management to resolve gaps between supply capabilities and production plans.

• Participate in cross-plant and departmental teams and projects as required.

• Ensure compliance with company policies, industry standards, and safety regulations in all supply chain and purchasing activities.

• Perform other duties as assigned to support operational excellence and overall business objectives.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience in purchasing, planning, scheduling, or coordination roles, preferably within a manufacturing-specific environment.

• Hands-on experience with production planning, production scheduling, and supply chain coordination.

• Practical background in procurement, buyer or purchasing functions, and logistics support.

• Experience with inventory management, material planning, and materials planning, including purchase order management.

• Proficiency with ERP systems and planning tools such as SAP, Oracle, or similar ERP platforms.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including strong skills in Excel for data analysis and reporting.

• Proficiency with planning and scheduling software (for example SAP, MS Project, Oracle, and Excel).

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities to support positive work performance and business outcomes.

• Ability to perform accurate data entry and maintain precise records related to planning, scheduling, and inventory.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressure in a high mix-low volume manufacturing environment.

• Skilled in fostering positive working relationships through clear and effective communication.

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience coordinating production and materials planning in a high mix-low volume manufacturing setting.

• background in schedule planning and planning scheduling activities involving complex product mixes.

• Familiarity with buyer purchasing processes and vendor coordination for MRO and production materials.

• Experience working as a production planner or in similar planning and coordination roles.

• Comfort working cross-functionally with Operations, Customer Service, and scheduling teams.

• Ability to contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on planning, scheduling, and inventory management.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Grafton, WI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $31.00 - $35.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Grafton,WI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 18, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io (%View email address on click.appcast.io) for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.