JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION: Buyer Planner

REPORTS TO: Materials Manager

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF JOB AND CONTRIBUTION TO ORGANIZATION:

This position converts approved requisitions into purchase orders, plans and controls materials to meet production and customer commitments, manages supplier confirmations and on-time delivery, and maintains accurate SAP/MRP master data. The role partners with cross-functional teams to prevent shortages, resolve discrepancies, and achieve inventory, cost, and service objectives while upholding company policies and quality standards.

ESSENTIAL TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following job functions are not all-inclusive. The employee must perform other job-related tasks/responsibilities the supervisor requests. Job duties may change as required by the needs of the company.

1. Convert approved requisitions to purchase orders in accordance with policies; secure price/quantity/date confirmations and track acknowledgments.
2. Work with the Strategic Team and/or Material Manager to be aligned in the commodity group strategy and sourcing activities. Solicit, evaluate (price, lead time, quality, payment terms, Incoterms), and award to qualified suppliers per commodity strategy; issue RFQs if requested.
3. Serve as the day-to-day point of contact with suppliers; follow up on acknowledgments and on-time delivery; maintain professional relationships.
4. Identify supplier performance issues and escalate per sourcing/escalation matrix; support supplier ratings and corrective actions.
5. Control and monitor open orders, amendments, and shipping notices; verify deliveries and expedite to prevent shortages and schedule risk.
6. Plan and coordinate materials to meet production and sales schedules; communicate availability, risks, and updated ETAs across Planning, Production, and Sales.
7. Supervise and expedite rush/short materials and adjust schedules to offset delays; evaluate economic impact of changes and recommend alternatives. Escalate any material shortages to the Strategic team or Materials Manager as needed.
8. Ensure and maintain accurate SAP master data and MRP parameters (MRP, reorder point, safety stock, lead times, rounding values, vendor master, PIR’s) in coordination with the Materials Manager and Strategic Team.
9. Prepare materials reports for daily/weekly meetings; support KPI reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.
10. Monitor inventory (raw/WIP/finished goods), support cycle counts, and manage slow-moving and obsolete material resulting from product/engineering changes.
11. Resolve invoice and operational issues (quality concerns, missing documents, wrong quantity, late delivery) in coordination with Receiving, Quality, and Accounting.
12. Act as a liaison with Manufacturing, Engineering, Sales, and other departments to resolve day-to-day issues and maintain adherence to schedules.
13. Support new product introductions and engineering/production changes by aligning supplier readiness and material availability.
14. Comply with company policies/procedures and support Quality Management Standards (e.g., AMS) relevant to manufacturing operations.

Other Areas of Responsibilities

1. Provide purchasing support when requested for NPM and Operational related spend (e.g., MRO, safety, janitorial, maintenance, R&D) using established procedures, work instructions, and job aids.
2. Assist in cost-savings and cost-avoidance activities; report material cost changes to key stakeholders.
3. Assist in inventory control and materials management activities as assigned.
4. Support supplier rating programs and KPI fulfillment/reporting.
5. Maintain specialized logs and compliance records as needed (e.g., Lumber Audit log, CSP material tracking).
6. Act as liaison for supplier correspondence outside of the procurement department when requested.
7. Assist Sales in developing customer delivery dates and ensure adherence to commitments.
8. Assist Manufacturing in planning production schedules based on incoming purchase order delivery dates to meet schedules
9. Monitor materials under Consignment program, make appropriate inventory transfers and, issue consumption reports for billing as needed
10. Work with the Strategic Team and/or Material Manager to update purchasing forecasts for selected suppliers as requested (i.e. Accurate Plastics, Fenner)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Possess and display Interroll’s Values at all times:
2. Long-Term Thinking
3. Committed to Excellence
4. Always Respectful
5. Passionate about Customers
6. Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred; Associate’s degree with relevant experience considered.
7. Experience: 2+ years in purchasing, buying/planning, or warehousing within a manufacturing environment.
8. Systems: Proficiency in SAP and Microsoft Office; experience maintaining MRP parameters and vendor master data.
9. Skills: Strong communication and negotiation; ability to solve practical problems with limited standardization; ability to interpret written/oral/diagram/schedule instructions; intermediate math (percentages, basic algebra/geometry).
10. Manufacturing Knowledge: Working knowledge of products, parts, and procedures used in manufacturing.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to twenty-five pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The above statements reflect the general details considered necessary to describe the principal function of the job identified and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in this job.

Potential Next Role(s)

• Strategic Buyer
• Senior Buyer
• Purchasing Manager
• Materials Manager
• Production Supervisor (depending on career path)