Buyer III

About Craftsmen Industries

Craftsmen Industries custom manufactures unique specialty trailers and vehicles and large format printed elements for experiential marketing and industrial solutions for brands across the industry spectrum including Boeing, PepsiCo, and Anheuser-Busch. We pride ourselves on creating our products fully in-house from initial design and engineering to fabrication and the finishing touches of graphics and paint.

Our Craftsmen team includes one subsidiary, Schantz Manufacturing. Schantz focuses on custom manufacturing of concession trailers for the fair and festival industry.

Guided by our values, we BUILD by helping bring ideas to life in a dynamic and collaborative environment and we're looking for talented individuals to grow with us!

What Do We Offer?

• Competitive compensation.
• Career development opportunities.
• Benefits including but not limited to Medical, Dental and Vision.
• 401(k) Match and Much More!

Position Title: Buyer III

Location: St. Charles, MO

Position Summary: The Buyer III serves as a strategic purchasing partner and subject matter expert responsible for managing critical suppliers, high-value commodities, and complex sourcing initiatives. This role leads supplier negotiations, supports supply chain strategy, drives continuous improvement efforts, and mentors junior purchasing team members.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote and maintain a safe work environment by adhering to OSHA and company safety standards, modeling safe behaviors, identifying hazards, and ensuring proper PPE use when in production areas.
• Own strategic suppliers or critical commodity categories.
• Lead sourcing events, negotiations, and supplier selection.
• Drive cost‑reduction, supply continuity, and risk‑mitigation initiatives.
• Consistently deliver measurable results by monitoring and improving supplier performance metrics related to quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost.
• Support supplier contracts, long‑term agreements and purchasing strategies.
• Mentor Buyer I and Buyer II team members.
• Serve as purchasing lead on cross‑functional projects.
• Influence project and business outcomes through collaboration and strategic decision-making.
• Align purchasing decisions with financial and operational goals.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain or related field and a minimum of 5 + years in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management; or a High School Diploma (or equivalent) and 8 + years in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Excel.
• Demonstrated leadership and sound judgment.
• Demonstrated success with supplier negotiations and supplier management skills.
• Advanced Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Material Requirement Planning (MRP) systems, Excel, and data analysis capabilities.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to manage cross-departmental projects and build strong working relationships at all levels.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Must demonstrate a consistent and stable work history, strong follow-through, and strong verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certification such as CPSM, CPM, APICS/CPIM, or other supply chain and procurement certification.
• Experience leading strategic sourcing initiatives, supplier development programs, or cost reduction projects with measurable results.
• Advanced experience analyzing purchasing data, forecasting material needs, and managing high-value or complex commodity categories in a manufacturing environment.

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting, standing, and walking in office, warehouse and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to bend, lift, and position self to move about the office, as needed.
• Required to stand, walk, and use fingers and hands.
• Vision abilities required by this job include close and/or color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to position self to move, bend, and lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must have the ability to hear and respond to auditory signals, distinguish tones and pitches in equipment, and use hearing protection during specific tasks.

Craftsmen Industries (and its subsidiaries) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This means that we consider all applicants for employment and employees eligible for employment without regard to race, marital status or civil union status, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or any other characteristic protected by law. We also provide reasonable accommodations to our applicants and employees with disabilities in order to assist them in the performance of their essential job functions.

To learn more visit www.craftsmenind.com or www.schantzmfg.com.