Senior Buyer

3 days ago

Skokie, Illinois, United States Georgia Nut Company Full time

Summary
The Senior Buyer plays a strategic and hands-on role in ensuring the timely procurement of commodities, raw materials, packaging, and other critical supplies. This position is responsible for securing goods at the most competitive cost without compromising quality, quantity, or delivery standards. The Senior Buyer works closely with both internal teams and external suppliers to maintain a seamless supply chain that supports the company's operational efficiency and long-term growth.

This role requires strong cross-functional communication and collaboration with key stakeholders including customers, sales, planning and scheduling, R&D, warehouse, distribution, logistics, and production. The Senior Buyer will actively manage supplier relationships, support new product launches, and lead cost optimization initiatives.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Manage material requirements using MRP to identify and address shortages or surpluses.
  • Issue purchase orders and coordinate deliveries to align with production schedules.
  • Monitor inventory levels for packaging, raw materials, and coatings to prevent stockouts or excess.
  • Track and resolve return-to-vendor issues to recover costs for defective materials.
  • Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships to ensure quality, service, and cost objectives are met.
  • Collaborate with customers and suppliers to source materials for new product development.
  • Conduct plant and supplier visits to verify quality standards and supply reliability.
  • Participate in weekly commercialization meetings and customer calls.
  • Partner with Sales, R&D, and Planning to align material sourcing with product and project timelines.
  • Work closely with Finance to complete monthly purchase price variance (PPV) reports and quarterly pricing updates.
  • Identify cost reduction opportunities without compromising quality or delivery.
  • Track procurement KPIs to measure efficiency and drive process improvements.
  • Support initiatives to streamline ordering, reduce lead times, and improve vendor performance.
  • Attend Plant tours to ensure knowledge of the processes of all items responsible for purchasing.
  • Attend plant tours for the purpose of insuring Georgia Nut is purchasing from reputable sources of supply to insure continued supply without interruption.
  • Bachelor's degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, or a related field (preferred).
  • Minimum of 5 years' experience in purchasing or supply chain management.
  • Comprehensive understanding of supply chain processes, logistics, and inventory management.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
  • Proven negotiation skills to secure favorable terms and maintain supplier relationships.
  • Strong leadership and interpersonal abilities with the capacity to influence and collaborate across teams.
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities, adapt to daily changes, and consistently meet commitments.
  • Proficiency in MRP and ERP systems, with experience in inventory control and materials requirements planning.
  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
  • High-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; experience with Salesforce, TraceGains, SharePoint, and Outlook.
  • Advanced mathematical and analytical capabilities.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to develop a vision, implement continuous improvement initiatives, and drive efficiencies that reduce cost, minimize risk, and limit downtime.
  • Ability to analyze process flows, identify root causes of issues, and implement corrective actions and process improvements.
  • Experience developing and tracking goals and objectives measured by key performance indicators (KPIs).

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