Buyer

Responsible for buying parts and components for the different operations departments within Foodmate US such as Parts, Warehouse, R&D and Projects. This position maintains optimal inventory levels while maximizing overall service level within company defined goals. The Purchasing Specialist/Expeditor will perform daily planning and buying of products and parts to meet these inventory and service level goals. This person will analyze alternate/available suppliers in the market for parts and supplies they manage to identify opportunities for cost reductions, improved lead times, improved service, and optimization of inventory turns. This position identifies potential suppliers for standard and non-standard / newly identified items and parts. The Purchasing Specialist/Expeditor will act as the single point of contact for vendors and suppliers to Foodmate US, Inc. in relation to technical parts and supplies as well as order status and updates. This position will actively work with Engineering and Foodmate NL to get approvals to push through alternate parts. 

Responsibilities

• Supports different department managers with their purchasing need
• Executes purchase orders in SAP Material Requirement Planning and other relevant tools.
  • Part number creation/entry in SAP
  • Procure Non-stock Emergency Orders, Raw material and special orders
  • Process Purchase Order Confirmations
  • Open Purchase Order analysis/follow up
• Expedite parts for sales orders, late PO lines and emergency situations
• Assists with implementing short-term and long-term cost reduction strategies
  • By, for instance, switching to more local vendors vs International suppliers
• Supports development of supplier base to expand business, improve financials, reduce in-house total costs, improve quality (customer satisfaction), customer relations, and on-time deliveries
• Pro-actively identifies potential vendors and helps develop strategy
• Responsible for running local tenders, aligned with direction from management
• Working with the Quality dept. to manage return material authorizations to vendors (RMA)
• Will actively work with the Quality dept to manage First Article Inspections (FAI)
• Ensure compliance with relevant policies, procedures and regulations
• Improve supplier service levels by integrating agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
• Support and collect due diligence information required for evaluating new suppliers
• Administrative support for purchasing projects and supplier management
• Perform additional related duties and tasks as needed

Qualifications

Qualifications

For this position, we ask candidates to meet the following criteria:

• A minimum of 3 years of procurement/buying experience in a technical field
• A minimum of 5 years of total work experience in a B2B environment is desired

(Preferably with, but not limited to, capital equipment or industrial automation companies)

• Demonstrated ability to expedite vendors effectively to maximize on-time delivery
• Proven experience in conducting vendor negotiations and contract evaluations
• A keen understanding of inventory planning and forecasting
• Solid working knowledge of MS Excel, Word and Outlook is required
• Experience working in SAP/MRP system is desired
• Ability to prioritize and organize workload across multiple departments and projects
• Takes initiative, works with minimum supervision, is a self-starter and comes up with ideas and new concepts
• Any certification in Supply Chain (i.e. APICS, CPIM, etc.) is a bonus
• A 2-year college degree is desired, but equivalent work experience is welcome

Physical Requirements 

The physical requirements listed reflect those needed to perform the essential functions of the Buyer role. Reasonable accommodation is available for individuals with disabilities.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, over the phone and via electronic means
• Occasional movement within office facilities and to attend meetings; occasional movement to warehouse area to evaluate parts
• Ability to review, prepare, and analyze data and figures, view computer screens and printed materials
• The normal working hours are Monday-Friday 8am – 5pm but occasional after-hours support is required

This position description identifies the major responsibilities of this job.  It does not include all aspects of the position such as the potential additional duties assigned by supervisors and the requirement for flexibility in helping others for the company's overall benefit.

Foodmate maintains a drug-free workplace is an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer that evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and other characteristics protected by law. The "EEO is the Law" poster is available at: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. Individuals who need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process should contact Foodmate Human Resources Department to request accommodation. In addition to federal law requirements, Foodmate complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the Company has facilities. Must satisfactorily pass background check, post-offer drug screen, and physical prior to employment. Foodmate participates in E-Verify.