Senior Buyer/Planner

The Senior Buyer/Planner is responsible for ensuring the timely availability of materials and components required for production while maintaining optimal inventory levels and purchasing costs. This role manages material planning, purchasing activities, supplier coordination, and inventory requirements using SAP. The ideal candidate has strong experience in manufacturing environment, with global supply chain or multinational company exposure, and is capable of coordinating with international suppliers and cross-functional teams across different regions.

Key Responsibilities

Material Planning & Inventory Management

• Develop and maintain material requirements and purchasing plans based on production schedules, demand forecasts, and inventory levels.
• Monitor material availability and ensure timely delivery of materials to support production requirements.
• Analyze MRP requirements, inventory levels, lead times, and consumption trends using SAP.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess, obsolete, and shortage risks.
• Identify potential material shortages and coordinate appropriate corrective actions with internal teams and global suppliers.
• Monitor and resolve discrepancies involving inventory, purchase orders, delivery schedules, and material requirements.

Purchasing & Global Supplier Management

• Create and manage purchase orders and ensure materials are purchased according to approved requirements, specifications, quantities, and delivery schedules.
• Coordinate with local and international suppliers regarding order confirmations, delivery schedules, shortages, quality concerns, and other purchasing-related issues.
• Monitor supplier performance and escalate recurring delivery or supply issues.
• Coordinate with global suppliers and international procurement teams regarding material requirements, lead times, delivery commitments, and supply constraints.
• Support supplier sourcing, evaluation, development, and performance improvement activities.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with suppliers and stakeholders across different countries and regions.

SAP & Data Management

• Utilize SAP for MRP, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, inventory monitoring, material planning, and related purchasing transactions.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and material master data in SAP.
• Generate and analyze SAP reports to support purchasing, planning, inventory, and supply-chain decisions.
• Ensure timely and accurate updating of system transactions and material requirements.

Global & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work closely with Production, Warehouse, Quality, Engineering, Finance, and other relevant departments to ensure uninterrupted material supply.
• Coordinate with global planning, procurement, supply chain, and operations teams to align material requirements and production priorities.
• Communicate with international stakeholders across different time zones regarding material availability, delivery schedules, and supply issues.
• Coordinate with Production Planning and Operations regarding changes in production requirements and material priorities.
• Support new product introduction, engineering changes, and other projects requiring global material planning and procurement.
• Participate in global and local continuous improvement initiatives related to purchasing, inventory, material planning, and supply-chain processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in purchasing, material planning, procurement, or supply chain.
• Experience in an automotive, automotive parts, electronics, or manufacturing company is highly preferred.
• Hands-on experience using SAP, particularly in MRP, purchasing, inventory, and/or material planning functions.
• Experience working with global suppliers, international stakeholders, or multinational organizations.
• Strong understanding of material requirements planning, inventory management, purchasing processes, and supplier management.
• Experience handling production materials, components, or raw materials.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Comfortable communicating and coordinating with stakeholders across different countries and time zones.
• Able to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet tight deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and other MS Office applications.

Key Competencies

• Material Planning & MRP
• Purchasing & Procurement
• SAP / ERP
• Global Supply Chain Management
• International Supplier Management
• Inventory Management
• Data Analysis
• Negotiation
• Problem Solving
• Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration
• Time Management

Work Location: In person