POSITION TITLE: Strategic Manufacturing Buyer (Temporary/Contract)
Are you a highly analytical, detail-oriented sourcing professional ready to take ownership of a critical, complex supply chain? We are seeking a proactive and driven Buyer/ Purchasing Agent to join our team, focusing on the procurement of specialized components for our precision instrument manufacturing division. This role is perfect for a self-starter who excels at technical negotiation, managing supplier performance, and driving continuous cost and process improvement. Compensation is $27-31/hr, depending on experience.
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Education: Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required.
Experience: 3-5 years of progressive experience in purchasing or procurement, ideally within a manufacturing environment. Experience with an ERP system is a significant advantage.
Responsibilities:
- Key Responsibilities: Driving Supply Chain Excellence
- Strategic Sourcing & Market Intelligence: Understand market dynamics to identify and vet new domestic and international suppliers. Evaluate potential partners based on price competitiveness, quality capabilities, delivery reliability, and reputation.
- Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Manage the end-to-end performance and capabilities of your assigned supply base. Utilize key metrics for quality, delivery, and price, and conduct supplier visits to ensure alignment and collaboration.
- Procurement & Negotiation: Issue purchase orders for assigned products and services. Negotiate favorable pricing and terms, ensuring rigorous compliance with agreed-upon quantity, quality, and delivery schedules. Proactively resolve complex invoice discrepancies.
- Inventory Optimization: Maintain optimal inventory levels to ensure high service rates while minimizing carrying costs. Take proactive steps to forecast and mitigate material shortages that could impact production timelines.
- Technical Interpretation: Act as a critical interface between our engineering team and the supply base. You must be able to read and interpret technical drawings and confidently discuss requirements with suppliers, including dimensions, tolerances, and manufacturing specifications.
- Cost Leadership & Process Improvement: Identify and champion cost reduction and cost avoidance opportunities. Actively challenge existing purchasing processes to drive simplification and measurable improvement across the department.
- Quality Assurance: Work closely with our Quality Control team to address defective or unacceptable goods/services, determining the source of the issue and implementing corrective action plans swiftly to minimize production disruption.
Skills:
- Demonstrated negotiation and analytical skills.
- Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple, concurrent tasks with high attention to detail.
- Ability to read, interpret, and confidently discuss technical drawings.
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally and thrive in a results-driven environment.
- Self-motivated and flexible, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Personal Attributes: Must be a self-starter, culturally competent, and possess a professional demeanor, able to foster team dynamics and collaboration both internally and externally.
Qualifications:
- Education: Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required.
- Experience: 3-5 years of progressive experience in purchasing or procurement, ideally within a manufacturing environment. Experience with an ERP system is a significant advantage.
Apply today!
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At Spherion, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact Callcenter@spherion.com.
Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Spherion offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).