Buyer Planner

Position Summary This role owns the day-to-day planning, purchasing, and material flow for assigned product lines, ensuring the right material is in the right place at the right time to meet customer commitments. You’ll sit at the intersection of production, suppliers, and the shop floor — balancing capacity, inventory health, and supplier performance to keep manufacturing running smoothly and customers satisfied.

The role blends tactical execution with continuous improvement, using data, ERP systems, and Lean principles to drive delivery, reduce waste, and strengthen supplier partnerships.

• Efficiently plan, purchase, and manage assigned supply points and/or product lines and their respective suppliers to deliver finished products to the customer while maintaining a high level of customer service.
• Review open customer orders/shop orders, shop and/or equipment capacity and historical data to help prepare a daily production plan while working closely with shop floor supervisors to ensure all customer commitment dates are being met.
• Release purchase orders for production material, floor stock items and all purchases to support the manufacturing needs for assigned product line.
• Gain specialized knowledge of specialty component options such as, but not limited to: roll from plate or pipe, shear from plate or flat bar, and alternate and unique material grades.
• Use available inventory replenishment methods and practices to maintain on‑hand minimums, minimize dead or slow‑moving and scrap inventory, and maximize inventory availability for active items.
• Resolve problems and discrepancies with quality, delivery dates, quantity, and invoicing of purchased commodities.
• Develop and manage the various databases to ensure systems work smoothly, including proficiency in Pro Ver, MRP, BPCS/CIC/BPA, Mendix, and Qlik Sense.
• Work with manager and operations management team to establish safety stock positions, best stocking locations and to resize Kanbans and rack locations and sizing.
• Learn lean manufacturing principles, develop plans for streamlining processes and procedures and attend FEM cost reduction and inventory reduction meetings.
• Work well in a team environment including warehouse, manufacturing, customer service, maintenance, and shipping teams so customer requirement goals are met.
• Adapt quickly and use several problem‑solving techniques.
• Expedite suppliers and logistics, familiar with impact order management, and escalate when necessary.
• Manage tactical duties with suppliers and report out on supplier performance.
• Appraise vendors’ performance based on metrics such as on time delivery, accuracy and quality of material and own the tactical day‑to‑day supplier relationship.
• Participate in and use quality improvement process in resolving problems in the work environment.

• Minimum Associate’s Degree (2 years).
• AS400/Pro Ver preferred.
• Minimum 1–2 years of experience in Purchasing, Material Control or Manufacturing planning.
• Strong analytical problem solving ability.
• Customer Service driven.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Experience in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office Suite required.
• Goal‑ and detail‑oriented, reliable, self‑motivated, and able to multi‑task effectively.
• Thorough understanding of steel and rubber specifications and tolerances.
• Organizational and analytical problem‑solving skills required.
• Knowledge of Country of Origin and/or domestic or AIS requirements.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

EEO Statement:
Victaulic is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EOE/M/F/Vets/Disabled) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic data, or other legally protected status.