Buyer - Purchasing (Technician II) (In-Plant)

Description

*In-plant role - See client specific information below in Job Requirements. 

Summary of Description:

Responsible for the purchase and/or lease of construction materials and equipment, permanent facility equipment and materials, and replacement parts for company equipment.

Duties:

• Prepare written inquiries or obtain verbal quotes for vendor supplied items in compliance with requisitions and/or specifications. 
• Receive vendor bids, evaluate bids considering price, delivery date, past performance of vendor, etc. to determine successful bidder.
• Negotiate terms/conditions of and place purchase orders. Negotiate and issue purchase change orders.
• Prepare all required documentation for each purchase order. Expedite awarded purchase orders when necessary to insure timely delivery.
• When required, handle third party rental contracts, awards, renewals, and terminations. Maintain files and chart all rental orders. 
• Coordinate invoice problems with vendor and accounting, and delivery requirements with vendor and supervision.
• Establish/maintain working contact with vendors. Meet with sales and vendor representatives, as required.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED), with additional specialized training or college course work and at least six (6) years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

Specific Skills:

• Working knowledge of procurement techniques, procedures, policies, accounting, and business contract laws required.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work individually and make decisions is essential.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to reach, stand, walk, finger, grasp, feel, talk, hear, see and to perform repetitive motions.
• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. 

Requirements

* Due to being an in-plant position, the below referenced Job Duties have been provided by the client: 

Position Summary:

The Buyer is responsible for the procurement of materials, equipment, services, and consumables required to support the safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation of an industrial manufacturing facility. This position partners closely with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Reliability, EHS, Finance, and suppliers to ensure timely acquisition of goods and services while achieving cost savings, mitigating supply risk, and maintaining compliance with company procurement policies and procedures.

Key Responsibilities:

Procurement & Sourcing

· Source and procure MRO materials, industrial supplies, equipment, spare parts, chemicals, and plant services.

· Obtain and evaluate competitive quotations from qualified suppliers.

· Conduct commercial negotiations including pricing, payment terms and freight terms

· Develop and maintain supplier relationships to ensure continuity of supply and service excellence.

· Identify opportunities for cost savings, cost avoidance, and supply chain optimization.

Purchase Order Management

· Create, issue, and manage purchase orders in SAP.

· Monitor purchase orders to ensure on-time delivery and fulfillment of order requirements.

· Expedite critical materials needed to support plant operations and maintenance activities.

· Resolve supplier delivery, quality, and invoice discrepancies.

End User Training & Requisition Quality

· Train and coach end users on procurement policies, requisition requirements, and best practices for creating accurate and complete purchase requisitions.

· Provide guidance on proper material and service descriptions, supplier selection, required supporting documentation, and business justification.

· Review requisitions for completeness and accuracy, working directly with requestors to correct deficiencies and improve overall requisition quality.

· Develop and maintain training materials, job aids, and standard operating procedures to promote consistent procurement processes and reduce purchasing delays.

· Conduct periodic refresher training sessions and identify opportunities to improve user compliance with procurement procedures and SAP purchasing workflows.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

· Work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, and Project teams to understand procurement needs.

· Support plant shutdowns, turnarounds, capital projects, and emergency purchasing requirements.

Compliance & Governance

· Ensure compliance with company procurement policies, ethics standards, and delegated authority requirements.

· Maintain accurate procurement records and sourcing documentation.

· Support supplier due diligence and risk management activities.

· Ensure purchases are made in accordance with approved budgets, contracts, and sourcing strategies.

Qualifications

Education

· Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Industrial Technology, or related field preferred.

· Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience

· 3+ years of purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or sourcing experience in an industrial manufacturing, petrochemical, chemical, refinery, mining, or heavy manufacturing environment.

· Experience purchasing MRO materials, industrial services, and capital equipment required.

· Experience with obtaining competitive quotes and pricing negotiations.

Technical Skills

· SAP purchasing systems experience.

· Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Suite.

· Ability to analyze spend data and develop sourcing recommendations.

· Understanding of procurement processes, contracts, and supplier management.

Competencies

· Strong negotiation and communication skills.

· Excellent organizational and time-management abilities.

· Customer-focused mindset with the ability to support plant operations.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

· Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

· High ethical standards and commitment to procurement compliance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

· Cost savings and cost avoidance achieved

· Purchase order cycle time

· On-time supplier delivery performance

· Contract and spend compliance

· Inventory and stockout reduction

· Procurement processing accuracy

· Support of plant reliability and operational uptime

Physical & Work Environment

· Combination of office and manufacturing plant environment.

· Occasional visits to warehouses, production areas, and supplier facilities.

· May participate in emergency and after-hours procurement support for critical plant requirements.