MRO Buyer

Position Profile

Cérélia's newly established Frozen Breakfast Business Unit – US Waffle – is driving an ambitious growth strategy supported by two manufacturing facilities in Liberty, SC and Hazelwood, MO. To support the continued growth and reliability of our Liberty manufacturing operation, we are seeking a proactive and highly organized MRO Buyer to join our Technical Services team.

The MRO Buyer plays a critical role in ensuring uninterrupted manufacturing operations through the timely procurement, inventory management, and supplier coordination of Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) materials and services. This position is responsible for sourcing maintenance parts, equipment, technical services, and operating supplies while maintaining accurate purchasing data, optimizing inventory, and supporting maintenance reliability.

Success in this role requires strong planning skills, fiscal responsibility, supplier relationship management, and the ability to anticipate operational needs before they impact production. The MRO Buyer partners closely with Maintenance, Engineering, Production, Warehouse, Supply Chain, Finance, and Quality teams to ensure materials are available when needed while balancing cost, inventory investment, and service performance.

This position reports directly to Technical Services Leadership and provides daily leadership and support to the MRO Warehouse Coordinator.

Primary Responsibilities
1) Procurement & Supplier Management

• Source and purchase maintenance parts, equipment, consumables, utilities, and technical services that support manufacturing operations.
• Create and maintain accurate purchase orders including pricing, quantities, supplier information, delivery schedules, freight terms, and required documentation.
• Obtain competitive quotations and evaluate suppliers based on total cost, quality, lead time, service, and reliability.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers, OEMs, distributors, and service providers.
• Monitor supplier performance and proactively address delivery issues, shortages, backorders, and service concerns.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, cost savings, standardization, and strategic sourcing.

2) Inventory Management & Business Continuity

• Maintain accurate MRO inventory including item master data, pricing, supplier information, stock levels, reorder points, lead times, and warehouse locations.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to identify critical spare parts and establish appropriate minimum and maximum inventory levels.
• Support inventory optimization initiatives while ensuring critical materials remain available for production and maintenance activities.
• Coordinate vendor returns, warranty claims, repairable components, and expedited shipments as required.
• Anticipate long-lead items, supplier risks, planned shutdowns, capital projects, and preventive maintenance requirements to minimize operational disruptions.

3) Operational Support & Systems

• Provide daily leadership, direction, and support to the MRO Warehouse Coordinator.
• Partner with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Warehouse, Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, and Food Safety teams to support business objectives.
• Promote continuous improvement in purchasing processes, inventory management, warehouse organization, and supplier performance.
• Communicate effectively across departments to ensure alignment on priorities, project timelines, and material availability.

5) Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure purchasing activities comply with company policies, approval limits, ethical sourcing standards, and procurement procedures.
• Support compliance with GMPs, food safety programs, workplace safety requirements, and regulatory expectations.
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing efficiency, inventory accuracy, supplier performance, and overall operational effectiveness.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

 

• Drive High Performance : Takes ownership of purchasing activities, establishes accountability, prioritizes effectively, and executes with urgency to support uninterrupted manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate : Builds strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders while communicating openly and supporting cross-functional business objectives.
• Can-do attitude : Demonstrates initiative, resourcefulness, and a proactive approach to solving supply, inventory, and procurement challenges
• Innovate : Continuously seeks opportunities to improve purchasing processes, supplier performance, inventory management, and cost effectiveness.
• Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Maintains precise purchasing records, inventory data, pricing information, and documentation while ensuring compliance with company standards.

 

Qualifications

 

• Associate’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Engineering Technology, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Minimum three years of experience in purchasing, procurement, inventory management, MRO, maintenance planning, or industrial supply chain.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations within an industrial environment required.
• Food manufacturing or other regulated manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of purchasing processes, supplier management, inventory control, and cost analysis.
• Experience working with ERP and CMMS systems; experience with Plex, Ultimo, Fiix, or similar systems is preferred.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, automation, controls, facilities, and utility components used in manufacturing environments preferred.
• Previous experience leading or coordinating warehouse or inventory personnel is preferred.

 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is:

• A proactive procurement professional who anticipates operational needs before they become production issues.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• Comfortable balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Financially disciplined and committed to making sound purchasing decisions that balance cost, quality, and operational risk.
• Skilled at building productive supplier relationships while holding vendors accountable for performance.
• Collaborative, dependable, and motivated by supporting maintenance, reliability, and operational excellence.
• A continuous improvement mindset who enjoys identifying opportunities to improve procurement processes and inventory performance.