Associate Buyer/Planner

Mainspring Energy•Menlo Park, CA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Buyer/Planner will be managing various commodities and suppliers from “quote to pay” to ensure continuity of supply and reduce the cost of the assigned portfolio. The candidate will be organized, communicative, hands-on and will have regular shop floor engagement and constant cross-functional engagement with production, NPI, engineering, logistics, material handling, and suppliers. The role balances tactical buying excellence with advanced planning, supplier coordination, and cost control, ensuring uninterrupted supply while supporting business objectives.

Requirements

At least 2 years of experience in production control, material demand planning, or supply chain management environment
Independent, excellent communicator, and collaborator with Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Manufacturing
Detail-oriented with thorough analytical capabilities including the ability to solve problems with minimal supervision
Proficient with Google Sheets and Google Workspace tools.
Experience with ERP packages
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business, Economics, Supply Chain Management or similar discipline
Cultural fit: Pragmatic Optimism (creative, practical, problem solver), Excellence without Ego (expertise, rigorous, data-driven, service-oriented, leadership ability, humble), Proactive Collaboration (seeking others, inclusive, respectful)
Smart, cognitively agile, high-horsepower, dependable person
Clear, concise, to the point communication and presentation skills, ability to work with teams
Data-driven and analytical
Deep knowledge of material planning, forecasting factoring in demand, supply, lead times, inventory, and business inputs regarding risks and use-of-capital
Deep understanding of planning systems and parameters to optimize inventory levels
Ability to provide data-driven status updates to manage exceptions
Experience administering competitive RFQs and driving supplier negotiations and supporting cost reduction activities
Ability to build and manage effective supplier relationships and act as the primary interface with suppliers on delivery status, issues, and problem resolution
Ability to communicate proactively with Production, Material Handling, and Engineers about order status and schedule challenges, and manage change orders, rush-requests, and returns, as necessary

Nice To Haves

Experience managing the transition of new products into volume production with manufacturing partners
Partner with IT and other business stakeholders on planning processes and system improvements
Experienced with cross-functional business process improvements to improve the supply chain efficiency

Responsibilities

Manage purchase orders, releases, and schedules to meet production and service requirements
Translate demand forecasts and MRP signals into executable supply plans that align with demand
Monitor inventory levels, lead times, MOQ compliance and capacity constraints
Ensure material availability while optimizing inventory and working capital
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned suppliers
Communicate forecasts, schedule changes, and priorities clearly and proactively
Monitor supplier performance (OTD, quality, responsiveness)
Resolve supply disruptions and expedite when required