Assistant Buyer

Who We Are

Wayland Industries is a family-owned supplier of branded, high-quality stainless steel hygienic fittings, valves, and tubing used in the food, beverage, dairy, and pharmaceutical processing industries. With a deep family history in the PVF industry, the company is quickly becoming a leader in the industry by providing the highest quality stainless steel fittings, valves, and tubing to distributors throughout North America. The company has grown rapidly and plans to double in size in the next five years. The company’s success is generated from its emphasis on creating a highly collaborative and flexible company culture.

Basic Function

The Assistant Buyer will support the purchasing operations. This role is responsible for owning the post-creation execution and management of purchase orders, ensuring all issued POs are accurately tracked, updated, and fulfilled on time. The ideal candidate will be able to operate independently after onboarding, proactively manage order status, and maintain high data integrity within the ERP system. This role is critical to support company growth by taking full ownership of purchase order follow-through.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage purchase orders from issuance through receipt and closure, ensuring accurate tracking, follow-up, and completion
• Proactively follow up with vendors regarding order status, delays, and discrepancies
• Maintain accurate and up-t-date records in NetSuite ERP, including delivery dates, quantities, and status updates
• Identify and resolve issues related to backorders, late shipments, and order discrepancies
• Coordinate with warehouse and operations teams to ensure alignment on incoming inventory and receipts
• Support inventory accuracy through proper PO updates, adjustments, and timely closure
• Maintain clean, organized, and standardized purchasing data within ERP
• Provide responsive and professional communication to internal teams and external vendors

Required Experience/Education Sought

• 1-3 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain within a distribution, manufacturing, or warehouse-driven environment
• Experience managing and tracking open purchase orders after issuance
• Strong proficiency in Excel (sorting, filtering, pivot tables, vlookup, data analysis)
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience working in an ERP system (NetSuite preferred)
• High attention to detail with strong organizational and follow-through skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment; experience handling a high volume of active purchase orders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams
• Experience with overseas purchasing/imports preferred
• Familiarity with inventory control and stock movement processes preferred