MRO & Indirect Spend Buyer

Stir Foods•Fullerton, CA

About The Position

The MRO (Maintenance-Repair-Operations) & Indirect Spend Buyer is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing procurement of maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies and indirect goods and services supporting food manufacturing operations. This role ensures uninterrupted plant operations, cost-effective sourcing, supplier performance management, and compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements. The Buyer partners closely with Plant Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to drive cost savings, improve service levels, and standardize purchasing processes across facilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, or related field.
3–7 years of procurement or buying experience, preferably in food manufacturing or industrial environments.
Strong knowledge of MRO materials, maintenance services, and indirect procurement categories.
Experience negotiating contracts and managing supplier relationships.
Familiarity with ERP purchasing systems and CMMS platforms.
Strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Understanding food safety, plant sanitation, and compliance requirements is preferred.

Responsibilities

Source and procure MRO materials, spare parts, maintenance services, and indirect goods (e.g., PPE, sanitation supplies, lab supplies, office services, utilities support).
Create purchase orders & work on indirect sourcing strategies provided by finance & supply chain to reduce total cost of ownership and improve supplier performance.
Establish and manage preferred supplier programs and blanket purchase agreements.
Build strong supplier relationships to ensure service reliability, quality, and responsiveness.
Monitor supplier performance metrics including on-time delivery, quality, cost, and service levels.
Resolve supply disruptions and expedite critical materials to avoid production downtime.
Support supplier compliance with food safety, quality, and site access requirements.
Partner with Maintenance and Operations teams to forecast MRO requirements.
Optimize stocking levels for critical spare parts and consumables.
Support CMMS and ERP purchasing processes to ensure accurate transactions and reporting.
Assist in standardization of parts and materials across multiple facilities.
Identify cost-reduction opportunities through standardization, supplier consolidation, and process improvement.
Track savings initiatives and report procurement performance metrics.
Support budget planning for indirect and MRO spend categories.
Ensure procurement practices align with company policies, audit requirements, and food industry regulatory standards.
Maintain accurate purchasing records, contracts, and supplier documentation.