Associate Buyer (Part-time)

Associate Buyer
Trident Consulting is seeking an Associate Buyer for one of our direct clients in San Clemente, CA- Onsite. A global leader in business and technology services.
Title: Associate Buyer
Location: San Clemente, CA- Onsite 5 days
Contract W2 12+ Months Rate: $27/hr on w2 Looking for 2-5 years candidate only
The Associate Buyer will support R&D, Clinical, Pilot Operations, and Operations purchasing activities by helping gather sourcing requirements, creating and maintaining purchase orders, expediting materials, and communicating supplier updates under the guidance of a Buyer, Senior Buyer, or Purchasing Manager. This role is intended as an entry-level purchasing position in a regulated medical device/pharma environment, with emphasis on ERP/MRP accuracy, supplier follow-up, documentation discipline, and issue escalation. The Junior Buyer supports inventory management, supplier quality documentation, and demand-planning activities to help reduce excess and obsolete inventory while learning vendor management, pricing, and sourcing fundamentals.
Requirements

Responsibilities: Supports R&D / Clinical / Pilot Operations and Operations teams by gathering purchasing requirements for new product introductions and routine material needs.
Creates, reviews, and updates purchase orders in the ERP system; confirms order acknowledgments, delivery dates, pricing, and quantities with suppliers. Expedites late or at-risk orders and communicates supplier updates, shortages, and delivery risks to the Buyer/Senior Buyer or Purchasing Manager for escalation.
Maintains part master, vendor, lead time, pricing, and purchase order data accuracy in the ERP/MRP system in accordance with approved procedures.
Assists with basic supplier follow-up, quote requests, and vendor documentation; supports negotiations, supply agreements, and pricing analysis as directed by senior purchasing staff. Monitors open purchase orders, past-due lines, and inventory signals; prepares basic reports to support supply continuity and reduce excess and obsolete inventory.
Supports supplier quality and audit readiness by collecting required documentation, routing issues to Quality/Supply Chain partners, and maintaining purchasing records in a regulated environment.
Works with demand planning and cross-functional partners to support ramp up / ramp down activities, while escalating constraints, capacity concerns, or material risks promptly.
Work Experience:

• 2-4 years of purchasing, supply chain, operations, planning, customer service, internship, or related experience; exposure to a regulated medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, or manufacturing environment preferred.
• Basic understanding of ERP/MRP systems, purchase order processing, supplier follow-up, inventory transactions, and data accuracy; Oracle, SAP, or similar system experience preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple open tasks and priorities with guidance, follow standard work, meet deadlines, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Able to work in a quality system and regulated environment by following approved procedures, maintaining accurate records, and supporting audit-ready documentation.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical curiosity, and comfort working with spreadsheets, purchase order data, supplier confirmations, and inventory reports.
• Good oral and written communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with suppliers and cross-functional internal partners.
• Computer literacy required, including Microsoft Office; Excel skills such as basic formulas, filtering, sorting, and data review preferred.
• Good organizational skills and willingness to learn purchasing fundamentals, supplier management, and regulated supply chain processes.

~ High School Diploma or Associates Degree is required Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain/Operations preferred