Materials Buyer Planner

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The person in this role will work in a highly dynamic CPG environment responsible for sourcing packaging components across hundreds of SKUs – from rigid and flexible packing to labels and other items.

With multiple SKUs and thousands of materials and components, managing lead times are key factors to some of the job’s complexities, as longer lead times provide less room for error in inventories and forecasting. Therefore, you will need to be extremely detail-oriented and able to manage multiple projects and adjust to an ever-changing environment.

Ensuring appropriate inventory levels while balancing cost and quality to meet production and customer demands. You will also manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, and align with sales and marketing forecasts – collaborating with teams across the supply chain.

• Review and analyze finished goods and packaging material needs through MPS/MRP requirements and issue purchase orders
• Monitor inventory levels and schedule deliveries to support production and inventory goals
• Communicate with suppliers regarding pricing, availability, lead times, and delivery schedules
• Track supplier performance and support continuous improvement initiatives related to quality, cost, and delivery
• Manage high risk suppliers with medium-to-long lead-times as required
• Evaluate supplier performance and maintain scorecards to ensure best in class
• Assist with identifying potential sources of supply for evaluation and approval
• Collaborate daily between Purchasing Department team members, approved suppliers, logistics, and customer service coordinators and planners
• Interpret MPS/MRP reports and issue blanket purchase and release orders to approved suppliers as required
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Quality, R&D, and Operations to innovate new ideas and bring cost savings opportunities to the teams; you will be expected to understand our entire supply chain operations to better serve internal needs and business goals
• Responsible for maintaining and communicating standard cost changes and adjustments
• Maintain purchase order data accuracy, to include and evaluate forecast accuracies, quantities, price, obsolete items, and requested / promised delivery dates
• Provide on-going direction to suppliers to ensure all deliveries are met and on time
• Develop back-up plans as needed for contingency buys
• Work closely with Engineering to ensure supplier understanding of specifications and compliance requirements
• Participate in cost savings initiatives with suppliers and innovative sessions with Marketing for POS displays
• Work with other departments on quality issues and concerns and communicate them to vendors accordingly
• Maintain vendor report cards and elevate issues that are creating problems within the MZB supply chain
• Drive KPI’s for on-time performance and inventory levels as this position can significantly impact the profitability of the company
• Participate in supplier reviews and performance evaluations

• Bachelor’s degree and/or three - five years of purchasing experience required; expediting or related experience also required
• Experience with purchasing packaging items is required – preferably at a CPG company
• Working knowledge of purchasing practices and procedures a must
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Capability to not only negotiate but influence key decision makers both internally as well as externally
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills with the ability to prioritize work with tight deadlines; project management experience a plus
• Proficiencies in Excel and working with Pivot tables and Power BI, as well as widely used software packages;
  Oracle Enterprise One experience or related ERP experience needed
• Strong communication and presentation skills needed; must be able to share information, guidance, and recommended changes to improve efficiencies with Sr. Managers
• Ability to work independently as well as maintain “teamwork” and constructive working relationships with people at all levels of the organization (both inside and outside the company)

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

This is a summary description of the general duties and level of work assigned to this position. It is not a full and comprehensive list of all possible responsibilities and tasks.