Buyer

Valmont Industries, Inc. • Valley, NE

45d • Onsite

About The Position

Responsible for procurement of assigned items, planning, coordinating and reviewing activities related to an assigned commodity, focused on timely deliveries and shipment accuracy with the goal of satisfying customer requirements. The incumbent commits funds, participates in strategic business decisions and operates as the liaison between supply chain and operations. Buyer is accountable for purchase order creation, supply chain execution, and purchase order requirements according to existing strategy through communication with suppliers. This position is focused on achieving on-time supplier delivery in order to meet customer delivery requirements. Incumbent will work closely with other teams from the new product planning phase to ensure that the best components are considered not purely from a price, but from an availability, lead time and quality perspective. The team plays a critical role in addressing demand variability, configuration changes and supplier support for different processes. Engineering Change Notices, receipt discrepancies, transportation coordination, expediting, and data entry will be handled on all assigned commodities.

Requirements

• Professional work experience with contract management and negotiations.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, building relationships with all levels of employees.
• Ability to organize and manage multiple, simultaneous priorities and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Attention to detail and accuracy while working in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines.
• Judgment and decision-making skills while comparing relative cost and benefit potential.
• A strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook.
• A valid US driver’s license and ability to travel by plane as required by the job.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience in sales, operations, operations planning, master scheduling, production planning, inventory control or production control within an MRP/ERP environment.
• Knowledge of customer service functions and shipping procedures.
• APICS (C.P.I.M.) Certified Purchasing Manager or Certified Professional in Inventory Management Certification.

Responsibilities

• Making effective and timely decisions to resolve material shortages in production.
• Achieving outstanding internal customer satisfaction and maintenance of relationships between the supply base and Valmont Industries, Inc.
• Efficiently and economically and the timely delivery of purchased material for divisional production and related support functions consistent with divisional inventory policy.
• Preparing Return Goods Orders and the disposition of rejected material to closure.
• Maintaining a professional working relationship with suppliers, Engineers, Production Control, Marketing, Manufacturing and other Purchasing personnel.
• Developing a deeper understanding of production requirement data and how to properly respond to the stated requirements.
• Resolving problems related to invoicing receipts, acknowledgements, material shortages, delinquencies and certifications with vendors, divisional and corporate personnel.
• Coordinating Engineering Change Notices for items purchased affecting new or existing materials in order to ease transition and manage inventory levels.
• Interpreting MRP output to create purchase orders (P.O.) for assigned items and verifying supplier receipt of the P.O.
• Expediting delivery of past due or moved-up purchase orders for specified suppliers – records any date revisions in system.
• Assisting Accounts Payable in timely credit/debit reconciliation.
• Contacting suppliers for PO confirmations, PO changes, to resolve shipment discrepancies, or process return.
• Participating in Lean initiative events such as inventory carrying costs, Kanban, consignment, floor stock.
• Analyzing delivery issues and adjusting database as required for assigned items.
• Assisting Corporate Purchasing in supplier consolidation efforts.
• Reviewing purchasing standard work procedures for improvements to increase customer satisfaction and/or reduce cost.
• Acting as a backup for other Buyers and Senior Buyers.

Benefits

• Healthcare (medical, prescription drugs, dental and vision)
• 401k retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off
• Employer paid life insurance
• Employer paid short-term and long-term disability including maternity leave
• Work Life Support
• Tuition Reimbursement up to $5,250 per year
• Voluntary programs like tobacco cessation, Type 2 diabetes reversal, one-on-one health coaching, mortgage services and more

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree