Equipment Buyer​/Planner

Primary Function of Position

The Manufacturing Equipment Buyer/Planner is responsible for the planning, procurement, and lifecycle support of materials, components, and spare parts required to install, sustain, and maintain the operating continuity of manufacturing line equipment. This role is critical to ensuring uninterrupted production by proactively securing equipment-related materials and spare parts needed for maintenance, repair, upgrades, and capital deployments.

The position balances availability, cost, lifecycle risk, and technical requirements across manufacturing line equipment, automation, tooling, and supporting infrastructure. Working closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Manufacturing, and Sourcing/Category Management, the Buyer/Planner translates technical equipment and spares requirements into timely, compliant purchasing actions that reduce downtime risk, support ramp and sustainment, and enable long‑term equipment reliability.

Success in this role requires strong direct materials-focused buying expertise, technical aptitude, disciplined execution, and a proactive approach to inventory, obsolescence, and supply risk management.

Essential Job Duties

• Plan, buy, and manage direct materials and spare parts required to support manufacturing line equipment, tooling, automation, and test systems, ensuring continuity of operations and minimal production disruption.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, and Production to define and maintain technical specifications, drawings, acceptance criteria, and documentation for equipment materials and spares supporting installation, sustainment, and repair activities.
• Own spare parts strategy for manufacturing equipment, including criticality assessment, recommended stocking levels, lead‑time risk mitigation, and lifecycle planning aligned to equipment uptime and production needs.
• Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), deviations, and qualification builds by assessing and executing procurement impacts related to equipment materials, spare parts, cost, lead time, and supplier scope.
• Execute sourcing events (RFI/RFQ/RFP) for manufacturing equipment materials, line tooling, test and measurement systems, and associated spare parts, evaluating total cost of ownership (TCO), serviceability, and long‑term supportability.
• Supports negotiation and of administration of supplier commercial terms where required—including pricing, payment terms, incoterms, lead times, warranties, service agreements, and after‑sales support to meet manufacturing quality, cost, and delivery (QCD) objectives.
• Partners with Sourcing and Category Management in supplier governance and QBRs, includes monitoring of supplier performance (OTIF, lead time adherence, responsiveness, warranty performance, corrective actions) as well as identifying and mitigating supply risks that could impact manufacturing line availability.
• Converts approved requisitions into purchase orders; manage acknowledgements, expedites, changes, cancellations, and deliveries through installation, commissioning, or spares receipt with proactive risk management.
• Coordinate logistics and site‑readiness activities—including packaging, freight, customs documentation, rigging, utilities, and safety requirements—to enable on‑time deployment of manufacturing equipment materials and spares.
• Track and report procurement activities against manufacturing project schedules, equipment installations, and sustainment plans, providing clear status, risks, and recovery actions to stakeholders.
• Manage end‑of‑life (EOL) and obsolescence for equipment materials and spares by partnering with Engineering to identify, qualify, and transition alternate parts and suppliers.
• Serve as the liaison between Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance to execute the Request for Capital Expenditure (RCE) process in compliance with company procedures.
• Prepare, submit, and maintain complete technical, financial, and contractual documentation (RCEs, BOMs, contracts, spares lists) to support audit readiness and regulatory compliance when required.

Required Skills and Experience

• Manufacturing-Focused Procurement: Demonstrated experience buying…