Sr Buyer

1. Description of Essential Job Functions: 

1. Serve in a leadership role for all departmental or site purchasing activities. 

1. Assist with training of new subordinates. 

2. Act as main point of contact.  

3. Create and/or update SOPs for purchasing procedures. 

4. Work with the Purchasing Supervisor to set annual purchasing goals and initiatives. 

5. Participate and help lead ABC Analysis and Annual Cost Roll. 

6. In the absence of the supervisor, function as the main point of contact for all Product Information Requests (PIR’s), assist with questions, and help resolve issues for other team members.  

7. Work closely with operations management to answer questions or resolve any purchasing-related issues. 

2. Coordinate all sourcing activity for new or existing models and/or services. 

1. Select components, materials, parts, products, and/or services for purchase by ensuring they meet the 4Front Engineering specs. 

2. Determine method of procurement such as direct purchase or bid. 

3. Prepare purchase orders or bid requests. 

4. Acquire product information, then break that information down to confirm supplier’s quote of that product. 

5. Gather preliminary part level data details, usage, logistics requirements, material specs, and drawings to issue RFQ’s in order to make supplier selection. 

6. Assist with new vendor selection by requesting company information, ordering FAI parts for evaluation and approval, and requesting quality audits when deemed necessary by Operations and/or Quality leadership. 

7. Gather quotations and information on sources and suppliers, interview representatives, and analyze bids and proposals for cash flow impact and business goals. 

8. Select or recommend suppliers and vendors to be placed on purchasing lists with respect to cost, quality and delivery competitiveness.   

9. Negotiate or assist in negotiating contracts with suppliers and vendors on prices, deliveries, quality problems, terms, etc. within budgetary limitations and scope of authority. 

3. Lead materials management for assigned components, commodities/materials, and/or parts. 

1. Develop working product knowledge on assigned commodities.  

2. Create and maintain cost models for raw materials.  

3. Estimate values according to knowledge of market price. 

4. Forecast/report material fluctuation based on the market index. 

5. Take a leadership role initiating APR and cost reduction activities on assigned commodities/materials, etc. without compromising quality. Where necessary, negotiate pricing, delivery and other relevant criteria. 

6. Assist in determining appropriate forecasts for budgeting purposes on estimated material costs.   

7. Use physical samples or drawing data, to calculate area, perimeter, usages and required labor of a specific product being quoted. 

8. Gives information to materials group to create new parts in the computer system using information from engineering. This includes setup of part, adding of appropriate routings, assigning of proper category codes, GL class and adding of cost.  

9. Working with materials group review and update system parameter parts for material planning purposes. 

10. Utilize system to analyze material requirements and sales trends to place orders. 

11. Procure materials from various internal and external suppliers to support the sales operations of the business. 

12. Set up material release schedules to coincide with production schedules and contact suppliers to arrange adjustments to accommodate changes in production schedules.   

13. Coordinate supplier releases for all parts and component suppliers to meet manufacturing schedules and customer demands. 

14. Provide support to the manufacturing team by resolving all material issues in a timely manner.   

4. Implement necessary purchasing activities.   

1. Set standard costs and prices for all purchased items.  

2. Investigate deviations from standards and recommend changes as required.   

3. Review planning parameters in MRP/ERP systems with the materials group to ensure proper order generation. 

4. Run and interpret reports from 4Front ERP system and places orders accordingly. 

5. Enter purchase orders or requisitions into the computer system and send orders or schedule releases on blanket orders directly to suppliers.  

6. Monitor open purchase orders and ensure ship dates are accurate and expedited to maintain availability and service goals.  

5. Manage delivery and fulfillment of assigned areas. 

1. Expedite delivery of goods to users. 

2. Monitor the backlog and ensure ship dates are accurate and expedited. 

3. Follow up and expedite orders as required to minimize production delays and maintain availability and service goals.  

4. Monitor customer backorders and unfilled customer shipments to resolve open issues with parts. 

5. Review customer forecasts to relay any future potential delays and adjust vendor forecasts for necessary changes. 

6. Implement supply chain and vendor management measures to ensure cost, delivery, quality, and service expectations are met. 

1. Work closely with vendors to manage relationships, maintain awareness of new products and services, select appropriate sources, and encourage and maintain partnering relationships to support the business vision. 

2. Confer with vendors to obtain product or service information such as price, availability, and delivery schedule. 

3. Establish and maintain quality certification of suppliers.   

4. Provide detailed forecasts (e.g., material needs) to internal and external suppliers and vendors to relay accurate insight into future business needs, required due dates, etc. 

5. Support management of vendor performance and conduct routine/non-routine meetings with supplier representatives for business/issues review and to address unresolved issues and areas of improvement. 

6. Manage commercial issues between suppliers/vendors and 4Front escalate to business unit leadership as necessary so corrective actions can be planned and implemented.  

7. Contribute and lead corrective action activities when supplier issues arise on assigned parts, materials, etc. 

8. Review and resolve supplier ASN issues. 

9. Take a leadership role in investigating all options where suppliers lead time is in excess of the customer requirements. 

10. Track supplier delivery performance and expedited freight occurrences. 

11. Relay internally and externally supplier and customer shortages. 

12. Coordinate quality matters and engineering changes as appropriate to allow for the timely release of orders. 

13. Discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services with inspection or quality control personnel, users, suppliers/vendors, and others to determine source of trouble and take corrective action. 

7. Coordinate inventory control for all assigned components, materials, and/or parts. 

1. Working with materials group, monitor inventory levels and take action to reduce or increase to meet service level needs and inventory level guidelines. 

2. Maintain inventory levels of purchased components consistent with budgets and business plan, and to assist manufacturing in maintaining timely and continuous production.   

3. Closely monitor and order inventory items in assigned commodities to meet desired availability goals, service levels and customer orders. Works closely with warehouse employees to prevent stock-outs.  

4. Work with materials group to adjust inventory levels as required by customer demand while maintaining adequate material safety stock. 

5. Develop and implement processes and improvements using data analysis to meet customer requirements and minimize excess and obsolete inventory. 

6. Sustain a balance of inventory to ensure low valuation while maintaining the highest possible fill rate. 

7. Working with materials group, analyze and adjust inventory levels for safety stocks, excess inventory obsolete parts, supersessions and item replacements. 

8. Provide customer contact individuals with information regarding due dates, lead times and prices on items not carried in inventory.  

9. Verify the accuracy of system information to properly track the use of inventories.  

10. Assist Warehouse employees in transaction investigation to ensure accurate inventories, to include checking in the warehouse, verifying Bills of Lading, and researching inventory records in the computer.  

11. Ensure all inventory transactions for returned goods are correct to maintain proper inventory balances.   

12. Maintain various charts, graphs and spreadsheets pertaining to inventory management. 

8. Provide manufacturing and distribution support. 

1. Provide support in the functional areas of production scheduling, shop orders, and purchase order receipts. 

2. Work independently with production plants and multiple departments to ensure their needs are met. 

3. Assist others such as manufacturing, design engineering, and the specialty products business as required in determining sources of materials or supplies and advise or assist on purchasing matters to determine availability, type, and source of new product. 

4. Work with the materials team, customer service, engineering, and suppliers to ensure all customer needs are met or exceeded.  

9. Leads purchasing administration activities for assigned area(s). 

1. Work closely with the A/P department in the processing of accounts payable invoices.  Clarify questions and issues on invoices. 

2. Review, approve, and support processing of invoices and work with suppliers/vendors and Finance to help resolve variances and pricing discrepancies. 

3. Maintain purchasing records such as items or services purchased, costs, delivery, product quality or performance, and inventories. 

4. Complete all cross-training required to cover for all positions in the materials department, including receiving and other related duties. Assist with forecasts as needed. 

9. Other Buyer Support Functions (these job functions may not be required at all locations) 

1. Set up and schedules returnable packaging/racks to suppliers as necessary. 

2. Create, implement, and maintain the FIFO system for all components. 

3. Conduct cycle counts and maintain and ensure inventory accuracy and fill rates for all components.  

4. Conduct physical inventory counts for all components during physical inventory.   

2. Supervisory Responsibilities: 

• This job has no supervisory responsibilities.  

3. Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

Education and Experience: 

• Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in Business or Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred. 

• 5-7 years of experience working in a purchasing, material planning, supply chain management, and/or inventory control function, preferably within a manufacturing, assembly, distribution center, or other industrial environment. 

• Requires some prior experience with purchasing duties including MRP, JIT, and Kanban related techniques. 

• Requires some prior experience with reading and interpreting engineering drawings. 

• Experience creating “should be” costs from drawings and part samples. 

Computer Skills 

• Ability to use a personal computer utilizing spreadsheet and word processing software applications, databases, automated systems, and MRP related software to accomplish work. 

• Advanced/Intermediate skill level with Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Excel, Project, and PowerPoint preferred. 

• Previous experience working with integrated computer programs and/or applications.   

• 5-7 years of intermediate level ERP System experience preferred.  Experience with JD Edwards preferred. 

• Working knowledge of databases with ability to read and write basic SQL statements preferred. 

Certificates, Certifications, Licenses, Registrations: 

• Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP), Certified Professional Purchasing Manager (CPPM), or related certification is a plus.