Buyer - Supply Chain

Job Summary 

Under limited supervision, coordinates procurement activities for contract manufacturing, finished goods, services, and assigned indirect spend categories. Manages purchasing activities and supplier relationships to support cost, quality, service, inventory, and productions requirements.  
 

Essential Functions 

• Manage inventory and production planning for a variety of finished goods. 

• Manage assigned indirect spend categories, including sourcing, purchasing activities, and supplier support. 

• Prepare purchase orders and bid requests. Review proposals and negotiate contracts within budgetary limitations and scope of authority. 

• Maintain co-manufacturer and supplier relationships to ensure business needs, service expectations, and supply requirements are met. 

• Investigate and secure sources for production services as business needs dictate. 

• Facilitate raw material and packaging shipments from warehouse to co-manufacturer. 

• Coordinate, monitor, and follow up on out-of-house processing and packaging. 

• Coordinate with manufacturing, finance, marketing, and other departments on procurement-related activities. 

• Provide accurate projections on expenditures, price variances, and inventory levels for planning purposes. 

• Maintain procurement records, supplier information, pricing data, and market intelligence to support purchasing decisions. 

• Monitor supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, and service levels and coordinate corrective actions as needed. 

• Resolve supplier, quality, delivery, and service issues with internal stakeholders and suppliers and implement corrective actions as needed. 

• Identify cost savings, supplier consolidation, and process improvement opportunities within assigned spend categories. 

Additional Responsibilities 

• Approve invoices for payment within established authority levels. 

• Expedite delivery of goods and materials to support business needs.  

• Identify and support continuous improvement initiatives.  

• Support company, department, and safety policies, procedures, programs, and activities.  

• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned. 

• Maintain a clean and orderly work area.  

Job Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.  

• 3-5 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, supply chain, contract manufacturing, or related field preferred.  

• Experience with MRP, ERP, or other inventory and procurement management systems preferred.  

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage, multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.  

• Knowledge of procurement, sourcing, supplier management, inventory planning, and purchasing processes.  

• Effective negotiations, problem-solving, and analytical skills.  

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively ley with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.  

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other business systems used for reporting, analysis, and procurement activities.  
   

Physical Requirements 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.   

• The employee must exert up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 lbs. of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. 

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include near acuity, far acuity, depth perception, accommodation, color vision, and field of vision.