Sr. Buyer

J.W. Speaker Corporation•Village of Germantown, WI

11d

About The Position

As our Senior Buyer, you will own assigned commodities from new product development through end of life, ensuring material availability while balancing cost, inventory, and supplier performance. You will use data-driven insights to anticipate supply risks, resolve complex challenges, and make strategic decisions that support business needs. Working with suppliers and cross-functional teams, you will lead initiatives to strengthen supplier performance, optimize inventory, and drive continuous improvement across the supply chain. The role serves as the primary supply chain owner for assigned commodities and as a key link among Demand Planning, Sourcing, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and suppliers. It encompasses commodity planning and lifecycle management, supply-risk mitigation, supplier performance and capacity management, planning standards, and guidance for less experienced buyers. The Senior Buyer also leads cross-functional improvement initiatives, improves reporting and processes, and supports supplier readiness for product introductions and other significant changes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in supply chain, purchasing, materials, or operations.
Strong understanding of demand planning, inventory management, and procurement processes.
Advanced proficiency in Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and Business Intelligence tools.
Analytical, proactive approach and ability to turn complex data into actionable solutions.
Ability to navigate challenging supplier relationships, lead cross-functional initiatives, influence decisions, and hold others accountable.
Ability to take ownership, think strategically, improve processes, and drive results.

Responsibilities

Own assigned commodities from new product development through production, lifecycle management, and end of life.
Coordinate with Demand Planning, Sourcing, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and suppliers to align material availability with production requirements and business priorities.
Maintain knowledge of supplier capabilities, capacity, lead times, market conditions, cost drivers, quality considerations, and supply risks for assigned commodities.
Analyze demand, consumption, forecasts, inventory, supplier capacity, and lifecycle status to identify and mitigate shortages, excess inventory, obsolescence, and supply continuity risks.
Partner with Sourcing on commodity strategies, supplier selection, sourcing decisions, capacity planning, cost opportunities, and supplier negotiations.
Act as the primary escalation point for significant supplier and commodity issues and coordinate cross-functional resolution.
Develop and implement planning standards, work instructions, and best practices for the supply chain organization.
Provide guidance to Buyers I and II on complex supply chain issues, analytical methods, supplier management, and problem solving.
Identify, assess, and mitigate supply risks; develop contingency strategies for constrained, long-lead, single-source, and other high-risk components.
Provide forward-looking supply chain recommendations based on business requirements, supplier capabilities, demand changes, and market conditions.
Analyze supplier performance trends and lead corrective actions with Sourcing and Quality.
Assess supplier capacity and constraints against current and future demand, and develop mitigation plans for identified gaps.
Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives using structured problem-solving methods such as PDCA.
Identify and implement opportunities to improve commodity performance, reduce inventory, increase supply responsiveness, improve supplier performance, and reduce procurement cycle time.
Identify opportunities to automate routine activities, improve Business Intelligence reporting, and reduce manual exception management.
Share best practices and support standardized supply chain processes across commodities.
Establish and optimize planning parameters, including safety stock, order quantities, lead times, minimums, and multiples, balancing service, inventory investment, and supply continuity.
Own supplier performance for assigned commodities, including on-time delivery, responsiveness, capacity, lead times, and quality.
Establish clear expectations and accountability with suppliers and independently drive resolution of performance issues.
Develop and maintain supplier relationships while balancing collaboration with accountability.
Lead supplier readiness activities for New Product Introductions, engineering changes, transfers, and significant demand changes.