Buyer / Planner

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Buyer / Planner

Job Description

This role combines planning and purchasing for direct goods at a Colorado facility. The Buyer partners closely with Supply Chain, Facilities, Warehouse, and other internal stakeholders, as well as external suppliers, to ensure reliable, cost-effective, and compliant supply in a fast-paced environment. The position requires high accuracy, strong planning skills, and the ability to flex and pivot as the organization grows. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with excellent communication skills who enjoys building relationships and driving continuous improvement in procurement processes.

Responsibilities

• Procure indirect materials, capital equipment, services, and lab consumables to meet operational requirements while balancing supply reliability, price, and quality.
• Review purchase requests for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with internal policies and procedures.
• Ensure all purchase requests include appropriate contracts, documentation, and justification prior to processing.
• Process purchase orders with a high degree of accuracy and compliance, providing clear justification for orders.
• Track order progress from placement through delivery and engage proactively with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery.
• Update systems with accurate delivery dates and publish open order reports to keep stakeholders informed of order status, inventory, and any delays.
• Follow up on past-due orders with suppliers until delivery and receipt are completed, escalating issues as needed.
• Assist the Accounts Payable team in reconciling discrepant or problematic invoices related to purchase orders.
• Maintain accurate procurement-related data and supplier records in Coupa and NetSuite to ensure purchase orders process without discrepancies.
• Work within a preferred supplier list and collaborate with end users, suppliers, and Accounts Payable to support efficient and compliant purchasing.
• Identify opportunities to improve buying channels, including implementing cXML punchouts, electronic ordering, supplier consolidation, and sourcing events.
• Document and report on supplier performance and key performance indicators (KPIs) using internal and external supplier performance surveys and systematic reporting tools.
• Manage supplier relationships by fostering positive working partnerships, clearly communicating business priorities, and aligning goods and services with operational needs.
• Perform supplier management analytics, including monitoring KPIs and generating reports to support data-driven decision-making.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with onsite stakeholders and external suppliers to ensure business needs are understood and met.
• Support internal inventory management and improvement projects, including aligning purchasing with inventory replenishment methods and production planning.
• Identify areas where procurement process improvements are needed, cost savings can be achieved, or contractual agreements are required.
• Align with other Procurement team members to develop optimal supplier relationships, efficient procurement strategies, company-wide pricing agreements, and system enhancements.
• Facilitate end-to-end procurement for high-priority and urgent requests, expediting tasks among requesters, suppliers, couriers, and approvers to achieve on-time delivery for critical activities.
• Assist the Procurement team with ad hoc requests and projects, and provide coverage for procurement colleagues during absences.
• Support the broader Procurement function by contributing to team goals, sharing best practices, and helping to enhance procurement processes.
• Maintain a customer-service mindset by being present during core hours, building trust, and providing responsive support to internal stakeholders.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree with 3+ years of purchasing or planning expierence.
• Understanding of production planning, inventory replenishment methods, and material requirements planning (MRP).
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems used for procurement and inventory management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including the ability to create and manage spreadsheets, documents, and presentations.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to identify and solve complex problems in purchasing and supplier management.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills for effective interaction with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority tasks simultaneously.
• Negotiation skills to secure favorable pricing, terms, and lead times from suppliers.
• Ability to build positive, in-person connections and maintain strong working relationships.
• Confidence to ask questions, seek clarity, and ensure full understanding of requirements and processes.
• High level of efficiency, a strong sense of urgency, and the ability to prioritize effectively.
• Ability to work well as part of a team while also completing tasks independently.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with supplier management, including relationship management and performance analytics through reports and KPIs.
• Experience with open order management, including reporting and communication of order status.
• Demonstrated ability to keep an open mind and maintain a growth mindset.
• Demonstrated commitment to a patient-first mentality in decision-making and prioritization.
• Alignment with an inclusive, diverse, and collaborative workplace culture.

This is a Contract position based out of Centennial, CO.

The pay range for this position is $38.57 - $47.65/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)

This is a Contract position based out of Centennial, CO.

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 2, 2026.

This is a fully onsite position in Centennial,CO.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® 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 ziprecruiter.com 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.