Buyer

General Description / Summary – Under the direction of the Materials Manager, the Buyer purchases raw materials, components, tooling, MRO supplies, and outside services to support production. This role creates and expedites purchase orders, maintains supplier communication, and helps ensure on-time delivery.

Reports to - Materials Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities-

• Purchase materials, tooling, and outside processing to support production and customer needs.
• Create and maintain purchase orders in the ERP system; confirm pricing, dates, terms, and requirements.
• Purchase steel and related materials; understand grade/spec, lead time, and availability risk.
• Coordinate outside processing (plating, heat treat, anodize, etc.); confirm specs, routing, turnaround, and required certifications.
• Obtain and maintain required certifications/documentation for purchased and outside-processed items; coordinate with receiving/quality.
• Work with scheduling, inventory, and receiving to prevent shortages and support on-time delivery.
• Expedite orders and resolve past-due items with suppliers.
• Communicate with suppliers on lead times, order status, issues, and returns/credits.
• Support sourcing and supplier performance (quality, delivery, cost).
• Resolve receiving discrepancies and PO/invoice issues with internal teams and suppliers.
• Support quoting, cost savings, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate inbound freight and special delivery requirements as needed.
• Maintain positive working relationships and follow company guidelines and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Educational Level – 2-year degree in business, supply chain, or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Previous Experience –

• 3+ years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment (Raw Material Purchasing) preferred.
• Experience with ERP or similar systems; strong computer skills (Outlook, Excel, Word).
• Steel industry knowledge (grades/specs, service centers, lead times) is a plus.
• Knowledge of outside processing (plating/anodize and heat treat) and related certification requirements is a plus.
• Ability to read and understand purchase requirements such as specifications, prints, or process notes as applicable.
• Strong attention to detail and organization; able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong communication skills with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of inventory control concepts and purchasing best practices is a plus.

Physical Demands: Generally, works in an office environment. Periodic time in the plant may be required to support receiving, supplier issues, or production needs.