Buyer

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Buyer is the day-to-day procurement execution partner to plant and regional Operations, with a direct line of sight to regional purchasing and inventory performance. The role executes approved global and regional category strategies, maintains contract and purchasing compliance, and ensures material and service availability at the required cost, quality, and delivery performance. The Buyer owns disciplined procure-to-pay execution, supplier follow-through, shortage resolution, purchasing data integrity, and coordinated inventory actions. Role mission: Deliver a reliable, low-friction procure-to-pay operating model that improves material cost, inventory discipline, supplier performance, and compliance without disrupting plant operations. EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Associate's degree in any major, but a bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, purchasing, or related discipline preferred. 2+ years of relevant purchasing, materials, supply chain or manufacturing customer-service experience required. Working proficiency with Excel and ERP purchasing processes; Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience preferred. Ability to analyze supplier delivery, open orders, inventory and cost data, establish priorities, and communicate escalations effectively. Strong ethics, ownership, attention to detail, service mindset, collaboration and ability to work across multiple plant priorities. RESPONSIBILITES: Serve as the primary purchasing execution partner for designated facilities and their Operations leadership; understand production schedules, constraints, working capital, and the effect of purchasing decisions on regional results. Execute sourcing strategies, negotiated contracts, approved supplier lists, pricing, and specifications established by Global / Regional Category leadership. Escalate exceptions and market intelligence rather than independently altering strategic agreements. Collaborate daily with Operations, Planning, Inventory, Quality, Finance/AP and Category Management; maintain clear escalation paths and documented decision rights. Procure-to-pay discipline: Convert approved demand and requisitions into accurate, timely purchase orders; confirm price, terms, quantities, delivery dates, coding and approvals; monitor open orders through receipt, invoice resolution, and closure. Contract and policy compliance: Use approved suppliers, negotiated terms, buying channels, and delegated authority; flag maverick spend, off-contract pricing, duplicate orders, and exceptions for resolution. Supplier execution and escalation: Secure order acknowledgements, maintain realistic promise dates, expedite critical material, resolve shortages and discrepancies, and coordinate escalation and recovery plans before operations are impacted. Inventory and working capital: Partner with Operations and Planning to review demand, lead times, safety stock, excess/obsolete inventory, open-PO exposure, and opportunities to lower inventory days on hand without jeopardizing service. Supplier performance: Maintain supplier delivery and defect data, support corrective actions with Quality and Category Management, and implement focused scorecards for the top five suppliers by category as deployed. Cost and P&L impact: Validate contracted pricing, identify leakage and cost-avoidance opportunities, quantify material cost drivers, and bring recurring issues or savings opportunities to Category leadership and regional management. Data and systems: Maintain accurate supplier, item, pricing, lead-time and PO information in the ERP (including Microsoft D365 as applicable); support standardized workflows, reporting, and continuous improvement. Customer service: Provide Operations with clear status, issue ownership, realistic recovery dates, and timely communication; reduce friction through standard processes rather than avoidable one-off transactions. Excellent benefits include medical with a standard PPO plan with deductibles as low as $1,500 and wellness credit up to $750; free concierge primary care; voluntary 401k plan currently matching up to 12%; voluntary dental and vision plans; free telemedicine services; basic life, long and short-term disability coverage. EOE M/F/D/V #IND11