Materials Buyer

Tenneco • Greenville, MI

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Materials Buyer owns the plant system that converts production demand into supplier requirements, material availability, and controlled raw-material inventory. The role establishes disciplined MRP execution, resolves exceptions before they disrupt production, coordinates inbound schedules, and leads supplier recovery using P3 Integrated Supply Chain standards. It connects Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Customs, Production, and Finance through a visible operating rhythm.

The position is responsible for reliable material availability, governed MRP processes, healthy raw-material inventory, accountable supplier performance, and readiness for P3 certification. It operates in a manufacturing environment at Tenneco’s Greenville, Michigan location.

Requirements

• Hands-on experience with supplier scheduling, MRP, parameter governance, exception management, shortages, and recovery planning in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to manage inventory coverage, safety stock, MOQ, lot size, lead time, excess, obsolescence, and working-capital tradeoffs.
• Experience managing supplier commitments, capacity, OTD/OTIF, corrective actions, and escalation across external and intercompany suppliers.
• Demonstrated ability to align Production, Procurement, Logistics, Customs, Finance, and Customer Planning around one material plan.
• Experience using root cause analysis, standard work, visual management, and KPI routines to improve planning reliability.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, operations, engineering, business, or a related field.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP, Excel, and planning or BI tools.
• Ability to communicate risk clearly, make fact-based decisions, and drive action under pressure.
• Fluency in English and the local plant language, as required.

Nice To Haves

• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification.
• Lean certification.
• Six Sigma certification.

Responsibilities

• Translate production demand into executable supplier requirements using MRP, governed ERP parameters, lead times, MOQs, safety stock, coverage, and supplier schedules.
• Maintain visibility of shortages and critical-material risks; identify constraints, establish containment and recovery plans, assign owners and due dates, and escalate risks before production or delivery is affected.
• Manage raw-material targets and balance service, supply risk, and working capital; optimize safety stock and order policies and reduce excess and obsolete inventory without creating supply exposure.
• Establish supplier-management cadence for capacity, commitments, ASN discipline, OTD/OTIF, corrective actions, and recovery across external and intercompany suppliers.
• Use MRP exceptions, inventory coverage, supplier performance, schedule adherence, and premium-freight signals to identify root causes and drive permanent countermeasures.
• Provide Production and Customer Planning with a credible material plan, shortage visibility, and recovery decisions aligned with production schedules and customer priorities.
• Provide Procurement and Supplier Development with accurate supplier requirements, performance evidence, capacity risks, and structured escalation.
• Coordinate with Transportation and Customs on pickup schedules, carrier capacity, routes, documentation, and clearance priorities.
• Provide Finance and plant leadership with transparent inventory, risk, and recovery information to support working-capital and operational decisions.
• Maintain stable supplier schedules, clear expectations, timely escalation, and disciplined follow-through.
• Establish planning routines and standards, run MRP on cadence, close exceptions daily, and use system outputs to drive action.
• Support P3 certification readiness through evidence of planning routines, standards, KPI reviews, corrective actions, trained backups, and sustained execution.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package designed to support well-being.
• Opportunity to work and learn in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while shaping the P3 Integrated Supply Chain operating system.
• Hands-on exposure to Lean, ERP, analytics, cross-functional problem solving, and plant transformation.
• Culture committed to operational excellence, simplicity, accountability, and becoming best-in-class.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level