Buyer/Planner, Staff

Job Description:

Confluent Medical Technologies is a financially healthy and rapidly growing medical device company dedicated to working collaboratively with our customers, taking their projects from rapid prototype into high volume production. Our unparalleled technical expertise, proven experience and partnership with our clients has allowed us to perfect the process necessary to deliver world-class medical devices through innovative material science, engineering, and manufacturing. Our primary capabilities include: Nitinol components and tubing, balloon expandable stents and catheters, complex catheters, biomedical textiles, and high precision polymer tubing. We take pride in our position as the leader in the medical technology space and are driven by a passion to create products that our clients have envisioned for their customers.

We are seeking a Buyer/Planner, Staff to join our team in Costa Rica. The selected candidate will be responsible for procuring materials, equipment, supplies, and services while balancing cost, quality, delivery, and inventory objectives. This role will also manage supplier relationships, evaluate supplier capabilities, and support contract negotiations.

Additionally, the position will develop production plans and coordinate scheduling activities based on capacity, material availability, and customer requirements to ensure production aligns with business priorities and customer demand.

Visa and availability to travel to the US may be required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSABILITIES:

Business & Customer Support

• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable Health, Safety, Environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with customers and internal teams to support delivery schedules and customer requirements.
• Develop and implement strategies focused on quality, cost, flexibility, productivity, and delivery.
• Identify supply chain risks and drive continuous improvement using process mapping, data analysis, and root-cause problem solving.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop and maintain production plans and schedules based on capacity, material availability, and customer demand.
• Manage production control activities, including job releases, travelers, order status, and schedule adherence.
• Apply appropriate scheduling and capacity-planning techniques to optimize work centers and production resources.
• Monitor production progress and proactively address risks that could impact delivery dates or customer requirements.
• Analyze efficiency, utilization, and productivity to identify opportunities for improvement.

ERP, MRP & S&OP

• Align materials management and production planning strategies with business objectives across Sales, Finance, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain.
• Utilize Epicor ERP, MRP, CRP, and advanced planning tools to manage material requirements, capacity, production schedules, and inventory.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor in the S&OP process, including forecasting, BOMs, resource planning, production scheduling, and work center loading.
• Promote the effective use of Epicor tools and automation to reduce reliance on manual spreadsheets.

Supply Chain & Inventory Management

• Manage the flow and availability of raw materials, WIP, finished goods, MRO, and other inventory.
• Balance supply and demand while maintaining optimal customer service levels and targeted inventory turns.
• Analyze inventory levels and identify opportunities to reduce excess, obsolete, expired, or high-risk materials.
• Apply root-cause analysis and continuous improvement methodologies to resolve supply chain and inventory issues.

Materials & Purchasing

• Generate, adjust, and expedite purchase orders based on MRP requirements, production schedules, and business priorities.
• Monitor purchase orders and proactively communicate supplier delays, constraints, and potential impacts to stakeholders.
• Maintain appropriate material priorities and service levels while achieving cost and inventory objectives.
• Support product development and value improvement initiatives through sourcing and cost-saving opportunities.
• Manage complex commodities and demonstrate leadership in implementing process improvements.

Supplier Management

• Monitor and communicate supplier quality, delivery, and performance.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, obtain competitive bids, and support supplier selection and development.
• Resolve supplier-related issues while maintaining strong, professional relationships.
• Monitor market trends and identify opportunities to improve cost, quality, and supply continuity.

Quality & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Ensure compliance with applicable FDA, BSI, and company quality requirements.
• Maintain accurate purchasing master data and Approved Vendor List (AVL) information.
• Review and approve raw material document changes as required.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, Production, Warehouse, and other stakeholders to ensure timely material availability and production flow.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree completed in Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in similar roles.
• Experience in the medical device industry is a plus
• Advanced level of English (B2+)

Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong negotiation and effective communication skills.
• Proactive, well-organized, with strong analytical and critical thinking abilities.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in self-managed, cross-functional teams
• Strong understanding of business processes, supply chain principles, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Sound judgment and discretion when addressing sensitive or high-impact situations, including the ability to manage challenging interactions with senior-level internal and external stakeholders.