Inventory Planner / Buyer - Manufacturing

Job Description The MRO Buyer/Planer is responsible for the purchase of domestic and international raw materials, custom parts, commercial parts, services, tooling, and office supplies required for the operations of Vital Materials. Some materials will be complex and technical in nature. The MRO Buyer/Planner will purchase and negotiate these items based on the best price, quality, payment terms, delivery times, and projected inventory levels required to maintain current operation and production demands. This position reports directly to the Plant Manager.

Perform cost negotiation, cost avoidance initiatives, and cost benchmarking while balancing quality, supplier reliability, and delivery performance.
Monitor inventory systems for low-stock spare parts and initiate purchase requests to maintain adequate inventory levels.
Add new parts to ERP systems accurately, including descriptions, pricing, lead times, and supplier information.
Maintain working knowledge of shipping and receiving processes.
Set up new vendors in QuickBooks, collect required documentation, and issue purchase orders in accordance with company policies.
Support Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) purchasing, which represents the majority of procurement activity.
Work closely with raw material suppliers to negotiate pricing, terms, and lead times.
Understand urgency levels of parts and materials and place orders accordingly to avoid production or operational downtime.
Ensure production and plant operations are not impacted by purchasing delays for known spare parts or materials.
Perform daily raw material inventory counts and submit inventory reports to Accounting as required.
Demonstrate ownership, act with urgency and integrity, and continuously seek process improvements.
Willingness to work overtime as required to meet operational and business needs.
3-5+ years of experience in procurement and/or purchasing in high volume manufacturing environment.

• Thorough knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices, and procedures within the Purchasing field.
• Proficient computer skills and in-depth knowledge of relevant software such as MS Office Suite.
• Demonstrated capabilities in planning, organization, integration, and control with respect to the buying function.

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Will lift up to 50 pounds on an occasional basis, according to work requirements.
Ability to wear personal protective equipment as required.

Potential candidates will meet education and experience requirements provided in this position and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role. Actual placement within the range is determined based on factors including key skills, relevant experience, internal equity, education, certifications, and geography/market differentials.

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
~Paid Time Off (PTO), paid holidays, and sick leave

Note: Variable pay and benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plan documents.

Vital Materials is a global materials technology and equipment company. Established in 1995 in China, Vital Materials has vertically integrated industrial and commercial operations located in North and South America (Head Office in US), Europe (Head Office in Belgium), and Asia (Head Office in China) with over 6,000 employees worldwide.

Vital Materials evolved rapidly since our founding, yet we remain focused in the areas of rare-metals-based advanced materials and resource recycling. We are the world's leading manufacturer of selenium and tellurium products as well as being a key producer of gallium, indium, germanium, bismuth, and cadmium products for diverse end markets and hi-tech applications including semiconductors, displays, electronics, photovoltaics, LED, infrared materials, acousto-optics, thermoelectrics, photosensors, radiation detectors, pharmaceuticals, feed additives, glass, ceramics, and metallurgy. In addition, we produce custom manufacturing equipment for many industries like the energy, semiconductor, and automotive industry just to name a few.