Buyer Planner

Hawkins • Loves Park, IL

79d • $60,000 - $70,000

About The Position

This position is responsible for planning, procuring equipment, and supplies from vendors. The Buyer/Planner position collaborates closely with partners to source, purchase and maintain raw material inventory while ensuring production, customer, and quality requirements are achieved. This position manages the operational flow of goods for purchased items including new product setup, raw material acquisition, inventory management, and margin management.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in supply chain, distribution, logistics, materials management, a related field or equivalent experience required.
• Minimum of 3 years directly related experience in production planning/scheduling, purchasing, or inventory management, preferably in a specialty chemical, food, or pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• APICS certification (CSCP or CPIM), CPP or CPM certification preferred.
• Familiar with procure-to-pay cycle and knowledge of contract law.
• Experience and proficiency within MRP/ERP systems and MS-Office applications, WinMan experience preferred.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks, work collaboratively in a cross-functional environment, and ensure timely completion of responsibilities.
• Previous negotiating experience.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient written and verbal communication, team building, and interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

• APICS certification (CSCP or CPIM), CPP or CPM certification preferred.
• WinMan experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Execute supplier performance initiatives to improve vendor accountability.
• Provide market and vendor analysis in preparation, participation or leading in supplier negotiations with leadership.
• Leverage supplier relationship to maximize cashflow for payment terms/profitability.
• Responsible for collecting and gathering data on potential new suppliers or carriers.
• Minimize demurrage expense and monitor movement of product to receipt.
• Resolve customer service or product quality issues and complaints by identifying root cause and ensuring appropriate actions are taken with suppliers as needed.
• Maintain system planning parameters per established processes, including recommending process improvements to improve efficiencies.
• Communicate supplier cost information to sales, production, and other departments timely.
• Utilize MRP to plan the procurement of materials to ensure the best possible material availability for production and service requirements while monitoring and controlling inventory levels.
• Communicate and coordinate any schedule changes with appropriate partners.
• Collaboratively adjust inventory levels where appropriate; accounting for storage space at the plants, inventory dollars, strength of demand, risk of obsolescence, turn rate, and optimal freight expense.
• Support product costing and analysis as needed.
• Optimize material costs through vendor analysis and identify and implement cost savings initiatives including product cost, order quantity, transportation, and freight terms.
• Analyze safety stocks and re-order points, manage raw material inventory, support demand planning, and provide backup coverage for other purchasing functions.
• Identify and support execution of strategic purchasing initiatives.
• Submit purchase orders for raw materials, monitor the movement of product to receipt, establish priorities to meet customer orders, and resolve shipping or billing issues.
• Proactively identify product and material availability issues and provide supply status and shipment tracking to internal partners.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, LTD/STD.
• 401(k) match.
• Employee Stock Purchase program (ESPP).
• Paid time off.
• Paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree