Buyer Planner - Electrical Manufacturing

Job Description

Job Description

Buyer Planner – Electrical Manufacturing

Location: Marietta, OH
Job Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire
Travel: Up to 10% for supplier visits and trade shows

Position Overview

We are hiring an experienced  Buyer Planner to manage material planning and purchasing activities for an electrical manufacturing operation. This position owns the flow of materials supporting production—from  MRP planning and purchase orders through receiving, inventory, assembly, and shipment .

The ideal candidate understands both sides of the role: how to use an  ERP/MRP system to plan material requirements and how to execute purchasing activities that keep a production line supplied.

This is an  on-site manufacturing position and is not remote.

What You'll Do

Material Planning & Purchasing

• Use  ERP/MRP systems to review demand, calculate material requirements, and create and manage planned orders and purchase orders.
• Plan and procure materials according to production schedules and customer delivery requirements.
• Manage purchasing activities for electrical and electromechanical components, including:
  • Wires and cables
  • Energy meters
  • Circuit breakers
  • Bus bars
  • Contactors
  • Transformers
  • Enclosures
  • Cable assemblies
  • Switchgear components
• Monitor purchase orders from placement through  receipt, put-away, picking, assembly, and shipment .
• Maintain accurate planning information, including  lead times, safety stock, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and reorder points .
• Monitor inventory and material availability to prevent shortages while limiting excess inventory.
• Expedite critical materials when necessary to protect production schedules.
• Identify risks involving long-lead, single-source, and sole-source components.
• Execute established supplier pricing and purchasing agreements.

Production & Cross-Functional Support

• Take ownership of material planning and availability for assigned production lines.
• Work closely with  production scheduling, engineering, quality, logistics, receiving, sales, and program management .
• Support  new product introductions (NPIs), engineering change orders (ECOs), and bill of materials (BOM) accuracy.
• Coordinate with Quality Engineering on  supplier corrective action requests (SCARs), non-conforming material (NCM) disposition, and first-article inspections (FAIs) .
• Track inbound shipments and resolve receiving or delivery discrepancies.
• Provide material availability and supply-risk information for customer delivery escalations.
• Participate in  Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) and production-readiness reviews.

Supplier & Inventory Management

• Maintain supplier relationships and monitor performance using  on-time delivery (SOTD), quality PPM, and lead-time compliance .
• Source and support qualification of suppliers based on engineering requirements, lead times, and supply needs.
• Execute spot buys and blanket purchase orders for standard and custom materials.
• Identify and address supplier and material risks before they affect production.
• Perform cycle counts and physical inventory reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Support supplier development and continuous improvement activities.

Reporting & Process Improvement

• Track supply chain metrics including:
  • Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
  • Supplier On-Time Delivery (SOTD)
  • Inventory Turns
  • Material Shortages
• Support cost-reduction efforts, including supplier consolidation, value engineering, and  Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis.
• Improve purchasing, planning, and material-flow processes.
• Promote accurate and consistent  ERP system utilization and data integrity .
• Participate in  Lean/Six Sigma and kaizen initiatives related to supply chain and material flow.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of buyer/planner experience in a manufacturing or assembly environment.
• Demonstrated experience performing both  buying and material planning functions.
• Experience procuring  electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or industrial components , including items such as wires, cables, energy meters, breakers, switchgear components, or similar products.
• Strong working knowledge of  ERP/MRP systems , such as  SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Epicor, Infor, or similar platforms .
• Ability to use ERP/MRP systems to understand demand, plan requirements, manage inventory, and support production schedules.
• Understanding of material flow from  purchase order through receipt, put-away, picking, assembly, and shipping .
• Ability to read and interpret  engineering drawings, BOMs, and technical specifications .
• Proficiency with  Microsoft Excel , including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and supply/demand modeling.
• Strong organizational, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven manufacturing environment.
• APICS qualifications are highly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in  Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field .
• Experience in  power distribution, electrical switchgear, UPS, or critical power industries .
• Familiarity with  PDCs, STS units, RPPs, panelboards, or MV/LV switchgear assemblies .
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification or  ISM C.P.M./CPSM certification.
• Experience with  Lean/Six Sigma and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of  UL, ANSI, IEC, NEMA, and NEC standards relevant to power distribution equipment.
• Experience with supplier development and  international sourcing involving Asia, Mexico, or Europe.
• Familiarity with  customs and import compliance for electrical components.

Core Skills

• Buyer & Material Planning
• ERP / MRP
• Demand Planning
• Production Material Flow
• Electrical Component Procurement
• Supplier Management
• Inventory Optimization
• BOM & Technical Drawing Interpretation
• Microsoft Excel
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Data Analysis & Problem Solving
• Continuous Improvement
• ERP Data Integrity

Work Environment

• On-site position within a manufacturing and assembly facility; remote work is not available.
• Regular exposure to shop-floor conditions, moderate noise, electrical equipment, and industrial materials.
• Frequent computer use for  ERP transactions, email, data analysis, and supplier communications .
• Occasional travel to supplier facilities, warehouse locations, and customer sites.
• Must be able to stand, walk, and move through production areas for extended periods.
• May occasionally lift up to 25 lbs. during physical inventory activities.

Apply today to be considered for this opportunity.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.