Buyer Planner

Aston Carter•Los Angeles, CA

3d•$29 - $38•Onsite

About The Position

The Buyer / Planner role supports procurement, material planning, and production scheduling in a high-tech manufacturing environment. You will manage purchasing activities for direct production materials, MRO items, and services while ensuring accurate financial review of purchasing transactions. This position is ideal for a detail-oriented professional who enjoys working with ERP/MRP systems, collaborating across departments, and ensuring materials and services are available to support on-time production.

Requirements

Minimum 5+ years of experience in a Buyer, Buyer/Planner, Procurement, Supply Chain, or Production Planning role.
Strong knowledge of ERP/MRP systems with the ability to manage purchasing and material planning activities; experience with systems such as QAD, SAP, Oracle, or similar.
Proven experience in purchasing and planning within a manufacturing environment, including production scheduling and inventory management.
Demonstrated accounting and finance accuracy, including invoice reconciliation, purchase order validation, and discount verification.
Experience supporting MRO purchasing, service-based purchasing, and recurring charges.
Ability to investigate and resolve purchase order, invoice, pricing, discount, and service billing discrepancies.
Strong analytical skills and financial acumen to review and validate purchasing transactions.
Experience working closely with Accounts Payable and other finance-related functions.
Ability to collaborate effectively with Engineering, Planning, Operations, Vendors, and Accounts Payable.
Proficiency in purchasing and planning processes, including procurement, supply chain coordination, and inventory management.
Strong attention to detail, follow-through, and organizational skills to manage multiple purchasing and planning activities concurrently.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline is preferred.
Background in Accounting, Finance, Business, Economics, or Supply Chain is strongly preferred due to the financial review aspects of the role.
Experience with QAD or other advanced ERP systems that support material planning and inventory management.
MRP and planning experience supporting demand planning, inventory requirements, and production schedules.
Experience within electronics, aerospace, PCB, or broader manufacturing environments.
Familiarity with service contracts, software licenses, maintenance agreements, blanket purchase orders, and recurring spend management.
Negotiation experience is beneficial, especially in supplier management and contract discussions.
Interest in broadening supply chain expertise across procurement, planning, ERP/MRP, supplier management, engineering support, and financial operations.

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day purchasing activities for direct production materials, MRO items, services, recurring charges, and blanket purchase orders.
Plan and coordinate material requirements to support production schedules, ensuring materials are available to meet manufacturing timelines.
Create, validate, and maintain purchase orders in the ERP/MRP system, ensuring accuracy in pricing, quantities, terms, and delivery dates.
Review and validate invoices against purchase orders and contracts, ensuring alignment of pricing, discounts, and service billing.
Investigate and resolve purchase order, invoice, pricing, discount, and service billing discrepancies before approving or confirming payment.
Support Accounts Payable by researching and reconciling discrepancies related to purchasing and invoicing transactions.
Collaborate frequently with Engineering, Planning, Operations, Vendors, and Accounts Payable to clarify requirements and resolve issues.
Monitor inventory levels and support inventory management activities to balance material availability with cost and storage considerations.
Utilize ERP/MRP tools to support demand planning, material planning, and coordination with production planning functions.
Follow up with suppliers to confirm order status, delivery dates, and resolve any supply issues or delays.
Support technical purchasing requirements in electronics, aerospace, PCB, or manufacturing environments as applicable.
Apply strong accounting and finance accuracy to ensure purchasing transactions are financially sound and compliant.
Support service contracts, software licenses, maintenance agreements, and other recurring spend items to ensure continuity of services.
Contribute to continuous improvement of purchasing, planning, and financial review processes within the supply chain function.
Use negotiation skills when appropriate to support favorable terms, while prioritizing accuracy, analytical review, and financial integrity.