Purchasing Analyst

Select Milk • La Crosse, WI

4d • Onsite

About The Position

We are looking for a Purchasing Analyst in La Crosse, WI. Schedule: Monday – Friday, Normal Business Hours The Purchasing Analyst is a strategic, data‑driven role responsible for analyzing demand, inventory, and supply performance across multiple locations to drive optimal purchasing decisions. This role goes beyond transactional purchasing to evaluate what to buy, when to buy it, and where to position inventory to balance service levels, working capital, and total landed cost. The Purchasing Analyst partners closely with Purchasing, Planning, Operations, and Logistics to translate data into actionable insights that improve inventory health, reduce risk, and support business growth. This role is expected to challenge assumptions, identify trends, and proactively recommend improvements—not simply execute purchase orders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics, Operations, Finance, or a related field required.
• Equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be considered.
• 2–5 years of experience in supply chain, purchasing analysis, inventory planning, or demand planning preferred.
• Experience supporting manufacturing or multi‑site operations strongly preferred.
• CPIM - Preferred

Responsibilities

• Analyze inventory levels, consumption trends, and demand forecasts across multiple locations to identify risks, excess, shortages, and optimization opportunities.
• Develop inventory recommendations by SKU and location, including safety stock, reorder points, and stocking strategies.
• Evaluate inventory health metrics (turns, days on hand, excess & obsolete, service levels) and provide clear insights and action plans.
• Translate demand and inventory analysis into purchasing direction, including quantity, timing, and delivery location.
• Support buyers and purchasing coordinators with analytical inputs to improve purchasing decisions and reduce reactive buying.
• Assess trade‑offs between inventory positioning, transportation costs, lead times, and supplier constraints.
• Analyze inter‑plant inventory imbalances and recommend transfers or alternate sourcing strategies.
• Support network‑level inventory optimization, not just single‑site decision making.
• Partner with Logistics and Operations to align purchasing decisions with production plans and warehouse capacity constraints.
• Build and maintain analytical tools, dashboards, and reports (Excel, Power BI, ERP extracts) to support purchasing and inventory decisions.
• Identify trends, anomalies, and improvement opportunities using data and intelligence—not just historical norms.
• Present findings and recommendations clearly to purchasing leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Identify process gaps and inefficiencies in purchasing and inventory planning and drive data‑based improvements.
• Support standardization of inventory policies and purchasing rules across locations.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives such as working capital reduction, service level improvement, and supply risk mitigation.
• Understand and adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices and Safety Protocol.
• Stop any observed unsafe acts and obey facility safety rules and procedures.
• Correct or report any observed safety hazards.
• Support safety policies and programs.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package focusing on your physical, financial and emotional health
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays Off
• Uniform Program
• Shoe Allowance
• Onsite gym
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Leadership Development Opportunities to support our local communities
• Chance to apply best practices in sustainability and environmental initiatives
• Commitment to producing high quality nutritious products and providing nourishment around the world

What This Job Offers

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