MRO Buyer

Job Description

Job Description

The MRO Buyer is responsible for the sourcing, procurement, inventory management, and lifecycle administration of all Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) materials required to support safe, reliable, and efficient manufacturing operations. This role serves as the primary owner of the UpKeep CMMS spare parts database and works closely with Maintenance, Engineering, Production, and Warehouse teams to ensure critical parts are available, accurately tracked, and properly consumed through maintenance work orders. The successful candidate will combine procurement expertise, technical aptitude, inventory management skills, and cross-functional collaboration to support equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives throughout the facility.

Duties and responsibilities

Procurement & strategic sourcing

• Source, purchase, and manage MRO materials, spare parts, services, tools, consumables, and maintenance supplies.
• Obtain quotations, negotiate pricing, lead times, and commercial terms with suppliers.
• Create and manage purchase orders from requisition through receipt and invoice reconciliation.
• Expedite critical orders to support maintenance and production requirements.
• Develop and maintain strategic supplier relationships to improve service, quality, and cost performance.
• Evaluate supplier performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement and cost reduction.
• Establish alternate sourcing strategies for critical and long lead-time components.
• Support annual budgeting and spend management initiatives related to maintenance materials.

Spare parts & inventory management

• Manage maintenance spare parts inventory to ensure optimal stock levels while minimizing excess inventory.
• Maintain inventory control procedures, reorder points, safety stock levels, and inventory policies.
• Identify and manage critical spare parts required to support plant operations.
• Conduct inventory reviews and support cycle count activities.
• Analyze inventory consumption trends and recommend stocking adjustments.
• Monitor inventory obsolescence and implement corrective actions to reduce excess inventory.
• Coordinate with Maintenance and Engineering on upcoming shutdowns, repairs, and capital projects requiring spare parts.

CMMS administration & parts database management

• Serve as the primary administrator and owner of the UpKeep CMMS spare parts inventory database.
• Build, maintain, and continuously improve a comprehensive maintenance parts database within UpKeep.
• Create and maintain spare part records, including part numbers, descriptions, manufacturer information, vendor information, lead times, unit costs, min/max inventory levels, storage locations, and criticality classifications.
• Develop and maintain equipment Bills of Materials (BOMs) for all production, utility, facility, and support equipment.
• Associate spare parts with equipment assets to improve maintenance planning and work order execution.
• Establish and maintain standardized naming conventions and inventory classification structures.
• Eliminate duplicate part records and ensure data integrity throughout the CMMS.
• Maintain accurate supplier, sourcing, and pricing information within UpKeep.
• Generate CMMS reports related to inventory performance, stockouts, consumption trends, and inventory valuation.
• Support the development of preventive maintenance job plans by ensuring required spare parts are linked to maintenance activities.

Maintenance collaboration & parts consumption management

• Partner closely with Maintenance Supervisors, Planners, Technicians, and Engineers to maximize the effectiveness of UpKeep.
• Ensure maintenance teams utilize UpKeep work orders for recording spare parts consumption and inventory transactions.
• Establish standardized processes for issuing, returning, and consuming maintenance parts through the CMMS.
• Train maintenance personnel on proper inventory transaction procedures and CMMS best practices.
• Monitor technician compliance with parts consumption reporting requirements.
• Audit maintenance work orders to ensure spare parts usage is accurately captured and recorded.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies and work with maintenance personnel to resolve transaction errors.
• Collaborate with maintenance leadership to improve work order discipline, inventory accuracy, and maintenance data quality.
• Support maintenance planning activities by ensuring required parts are available before scheduled preventive maintenance and repair activities.
• Act as the primary liaison between Supply Chain, Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations regarding spare parts management.

Parts forecasting & planning

• Analyze historical usage data, equipment maintenance trends, and production schedules to forecast future parts requirements.
• Identify long-lead-time or high-risk components and develop proactive stocking strategies.
• Collaborate with Production, Maintenance, and Engineering to anticipate parts needed for preventive maintenance, shutdowns, and equipment upgrades.
• Recommend adjustments to safety stock levels based on consumption patterns, equipment reliability, and seasonal production demands.
• Support budgeting and cost-planning activities by projecting quarterly and annual parts consumption and spend.

Safety & compliance

• Support audits and compliance requirements related to inventory, storage, and maintenance operations.
• Maintain compliance with all company safety standards, OSHA requirements, and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• Participate in safety audits, inventory audits, and compliance reviews as required.

Continuous improvement

• Analyze recurring part failures and consumption trends to identify opportunities for equipment reliability improvements.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime, and lower maintenance costs.
• Promote lean maintenance practices and support company-wide improvement initiatives.
• Assist in standardizing spare parts and reducing obsolete inventory.

Qualifications

• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
• 3+ years of experience in parts coordination, inventory control, warehouse operations, or maintenance support.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and automation systems.
• Experience with CMMS software and maintenance planning best practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, record keeping, and organizational skills.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, schematics, and manuals.
• Basic computer skills (MS Excel, inventory software).
• Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams.
• Commitment to workplace safety and continuous improvement.

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

• CMMS inventory accuracy: 95%.
• Critical spare availability: 95%.
• Parts issue response time: under 10 minutes during work hours.
• PM kit completion rate: 95%.
• Storeroom organization score: above 90%.
• Parts forecasting accuracy: above 80%.
• Safety compliance rate and incident frequency in line with American Nitrile's KPI targets.

Working conditions

Work is primarily performed in a manufacturing environment with regular exposure to machinery, moderate noise, and industrial chemicals. The role requires frequent walking, standing, and occasional lifting of up to 25 lbs. Strict adherence to PPE and safety protocols is mandatory.