PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION:
The Buyer is responsible for end-to-end direct material purchasing execution to ensure material readiness for production, maintain strong material liability control, and support business objectives through cost savings and supplier management. This role works closely with Planning, Production, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and suppliers to secure supply, manage risks, and ensure accurate purchasing transactions in the ERP system.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
1) Material Management & Readiness (Core)
- Execute PO placement and follow-up to ensure on-time delivery aligned with MRP signals, production schedules, and customer demand.
- Monitor open PO, supplier commitments, shortages, and expedite/de-expedite actions to ensure material availability and prevent line-down risk.
- Manage material issues including shortage recovery plans, allocation, substitutions (with Engineering/Customer approval), and shipment prioritization.
- Coordinate shipping instructions, Incoterms alignment, and delivery schedule adherence with suppliers and logistics.
2) Material Liability Ownership
- Own and actively manage material liability including excess & obsolete (E&O), NCNR exposure, MOQ/MPQ impacts, long-lead purchases, and end-of-life risks.
- Ensure purchase decisions are aligned with customer agreements (forecast/PO coverage), internal policies, and approval requirements.
- Drive liability mitigation actions: reschedule/cancel where possible, negotiate returns/credits, reallocation across programs, and support excess disposition plans.
- Support inventory aging reviews and provide clear data/justification for liability discussions with internal stakeholders and customers.
3) Supplier Management & Performance
- Maintain strong supplier relationships and daily communication for delivery commitment, responsiveness, and issue resolution.
- Track supplier performance (OTD, responsiveness, quality impact, lead time stability) and escalate risks early with corrective actions.
- Support supplier onboarding/qualification process and ensure compliance with purchasing requirements (documentation, packaging, labeling, invoice accuracy).
- Coordinate with Quality/Engineering for supplier corrective action requests (SCAR) and improvement follow-up when applicable.
4) Cost Savings & Commercial Execution (KPI-Related)
- Drive cost reduction initiatives: pricing negotiation, should-cost comparison, alternate sourcing, MOQ optimization, lead time/Incoterms improvement, and freight cost reduction.
- Maintain pricing accuracy and ensure correct cost/terms are reflected in ERP and purchasing documents.
- Support RFQ activities: collect quotes, compare supplier offers, summarize commercial recommendations, and implement approved sourcing decisions.
5) ERP / Process Discipline
- Create and manage POs, PO confirmations, reschedules, cancellations, supplier acknowledgments, and receipt support in the ERP system (e.g., D365).
- Ensure purchasing data integrity: supplier info, lead times, MOQ/MPQ, pricing, payment terms, and delivery terms.
- Maintain purchasing documentation and comply with internal controls, audit requirements, and approval workflows.
6) Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Planning and Production to prioritize material actions, manage constraints, and support build readiness.
- Work with Finance on invoice matching, supplier payment coordination (as needed), and liability reporting.
- Collaborate with related function on demand changes, approvals for long-lead buys, and customer-driven liability actions.
