Buyer

Responsibilities

• Interview vendors and their representatives personally, maintaining close contact by correspondence, telephone, and plant visits. Perform technical analysis of suppliers’ equipment, materials, and services to determine suitability for company purchase or use.
• Arrange and participate in meetings and negotiations between suppliers and the company where decisions are made concerning delivery schedules, pricing, engineering and design characteristics, etc., of equipments, suppliers, and services incumbent is responsible for.
• Provide information to other departments regarding proper specifications, quotations, delivery terms and costs. Provide information on supplier capability and workload to aid departments in choice of suppliers. Advise department on schedule of purchase date to meet completion date. Keep departments informed of advantageous purchases, shortages, or other market conditions. Forecast pricing one year in advance for purchased commodities; update increases monthly and forecast resulting variances.
• Advise Purchasing Manager and Senior Buyer on matters pertaining to the purchase and follow up of equipment, suppliers, and services. Contact Purchasing Manager and Senior Buyer concerning design, schedules, acceptable substitutes, specifications, and other information needed for purchases.
• Edit requisitions conferring with departments regarding requirements, specifications, quantity, and quality of merchandise and delivery requirements. Recommend substitutes to save const or improve delivery.
• Prepare various reports as directed by the Senior Buyer and/or Purchasing Manager.
• Work with Planner/Schedulers to facilitate necessary follow-up and expediting activities to ensure delivery as required by production schedules. Ensure that suppliers follow previously agreed upon terms, schedules, and delivery dates.
• Handle vendor adjustments involving replacement of materials not conforming to purchase specifications, return of materials declared surplus as a result of engineering changes, cancellation of orders, etc. Prepare related shipping orders and ensure that proper credit is received.
• Obtain and analyze quotations for new or non-standard items. Recommend or approve awarding of contracts or purchase orders, ensuring that all purchases comply with [Company] /Government regulations and accepted trade practices. Negotiate prices and terms of purchase contracts and develop economical order quantities.
• Arrange for subcontractors to fabricate equipment according to blueprint specifications.
• Analyze and study markets for anticipated company use, price, deliver, and other market advantages making appropriate recommendations.
• Maintain computer file data for changes such as lead time, cost updates, etc.
• Act as a company representative when on vendor visitation trips.
• Explore, investigate, and recommend cost improvement ideas that will benefit that company.
• Maintain inventory control of assigned parts to existing guidelines and forecast input to inventory on a regular basis.
• Develop and maintain vendor information files as to vendor labor affiliations and contract expiration date.
• Review and sign purchase orders and other paperwork as required prior to processing.
• Forecast monthly input and PPV to 5% utilizing the various computer reports.

Qualifications

• Requires equivalent of BS in Business or Engineering, plus two to three years’ experience and training in an industrial purchasing organization.
• Incumbent should have an in-depth knowledge of purchasing as well as some knowledge of the operations of Receiving, Shipping, Material Control, Production Control, and a materials requirements planning system.