Buyer Planner – Electrical Manufacturing

Material Planning & Purchasing

• Use ERP/MRP systems to review demand, calculate material requirements, and create and manage planned orders and purchase orders.
• Plan and procure materials according to production schedules and customer delivery requirements.
• Manage purchasing activities for electrical and electromechanical components, including:
  • Wires and cables
  • Energy meters
  • Circuit breakers
  • Bus bars
  • Contactors
  • Transformers
  • Enclosures
  • Cable assemblies
  • Switchgear components
• Monitor purchase orders from placement through receipt, put-away, picking, assembly, and shipment.
• Maintain accurate planning information, including lead times, safety stock, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and reorder points.
• Monitor inventory and material availability to prevent shortages while limiting excess inventory.
• Expedite critical materials when necessary to protect production schedules.
• Identify risks involving long-lead, single-source, and sole-source components.
• Execute established supplier pricing and purchasing agreements.

Production & Cross-Functional Support

• Take ownership of material planning and availability for assigned production lines.
• Work closely with production scheduling, engineering, quality, logistics, receiving, sales, and program management.
• Support new product introductions (NPIs), engineering change orders (ECOs), and bill of materials (BOM) accuracy.
• Coordinate with Quality Engineering on supplier corrective action requests (SCARs), non-conforming material (NCM) disposition, and first-article inspections (FAIs).
• Track inbound shipments and resolve receiving or delivery discrepancies.
• Provide material availability and supply-risk information for customer delivery escalations.
• Participate in Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) and production-readiness reviews.

Supplier & Inventory Management

• Maintain supplier relationships and monitor performance using on-time delivery (SOTD), quality PPM, and lead-time compliance.
• Source and support qualification of suppliers based on engineering requirements, lead times, and supply needs.
• Execute spot buys and blanket purchase orders for standard and custom materials.
• Identify and address supplier and material risks before they affect production.
• Perform cycle counts and physical inventory reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Support supplier development and continuous improvement activities.

Reporting & Process Improvement

• Track supply chain metrics including:
  • Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
  • Supplier On-Time Delivery (SOTD)
  • Inventory Turns
  • Material Shortages
• Support cost-reduction efforts, including supplier consolidation, value engineering, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis.
• Improve purchasing, planning, and material-flow processes.
• Promote accurate and consistent ERP system utilization and data integrity.
• Participate in Lean/Six Sigma and kaizen initiatives related to supply chain and material flow.

• 5+ years of buyer/planner experience in a manufacturing or assembly environment.
• Demonstrated experience performing both buying and material planning functions.
• Experience procuring electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or industrial components, including items such as wires, cables, energy meters, breakers, switchgear components, or similar products.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems, such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Epicor, Infor, or similar platforms.
• Ability to use ERP/MRP systems to understand demand, plan requirements, manage inventory, and support production schedules.
• Understanding of material flow from purchase order through receipt, put-away, picking, assembly, and shipping.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, BOMs, and technical specifications.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and supply/demand modeling.
• Strong organizational, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven manufacturing environment.
• APICS qualifications are highly preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in power distribution, electrical switchgear, UPS, or critical power industries.
• Familiarity with PDCs, STS units, RPPs, panelboards, or MV/LV switchgear assemblies.
• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification or ISM C.P.M./CPSM certification.
• Experience with Lean/Six Sigma and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of UL, ANSI, IEC, NEMA, and NEC standards relevant to power distribution equipment.
• Experience with supplier development and international sourcing involving Asia, Mexico, or Europe.
• Familiarity with customs and import compliance for electrical components.

• Buyer & Material Planning
• ERP / MRP
• Demand Planning
• Production Material Flow
• Electrical Component Procurement
• Supplier Management
• Inventory Optimization
• BOM & Technical Drawing Interpretation
• Microsoft Excel
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Data Analysis & Problem Solving
• Continuous Improvement
• ERP Data Integrity

• On-site position within a manufacturing and assembly facility; remote work is not available.
• Regular exposure to shop-floor conditions, moderate noise, electrical equipment, and industrial materials.
• Frequent computer use for ERP transactions, email, data analysis, and supplier communications.
• Occasional travel to supplier facilities, warehouse locations, and customer sites.
• Must be able to stand, walk, and move through production areas for extended periods.
• May occasionally lift up to 25 lbs. during physical inventory activities.

Apply today to be considered for this opportunity.