Senior Buyer
Pittsburgh, PA - USA
Job Summary
Summary of the Role
The Senior Buyer is a fully proficient procurement professional responsible for independently managing a complex and higher-impact portfolio of suppliers supporting LGG Industrials North American business. Assigned suppliers may involve technical or customer-specific products imports long lead times multiple manufacturing locations allocation constraints rebate programs recurring performance challenges or significant branch and customer requirements.
The Senior Buyer manages supplier performance commercial terms sourcing activity pricing changes rebates supply risk and improvement initiatives with a high degree of independence. The role serves as a procurement resource to Branch Operations Field Inventory Managers Sales Finance and other functions and provides mentoring and subject-matter support to less-experienced Buyers.
Responsibilities
Safety and Compliance
Maintain 100% commitment to Company safety policies procedures and applicable compliance requirements.
Ensure assigned purchasing activities and supplier records comply with Company policies internal controls and established procedures.
Purchasing and Order Management
Independently manage the purchase order lifecycle for assigned suppliers including complex orders import requirements order changes capacity constraints and supplier recovery actions.
Monitor open and past-due purchase orders lead recovery efforts for significant delivery issues and ensure accurate dates quantities costs and supplier commitments are maintained in the ERP system.
Resolve complex order receiving invoicing freight quality pricing and quantity issues involving suppliers and cross-functional partners.
Communicate forecasts demand changes and priorities to suppliers and negotiate practical responses to lead-time capacity minimum-order packaging and availability constraints.
Develop and execute supplier-specific mitigation and recovery plans when supply disruptions may affect important branches customers products or programs.
Supplier and Commercial Management
Independently manage relationships with a portfolio of moderate- to high-complexity and higher-impact suppliers.
Lead supplier performance reviews scorecard discussions corrective actions and improvement plans addressing delivery quality service responsiveness and commercial performance.
Independently negotiate pricing freight lead times minimum order quantities packaging payment terms service requirements and other operational or commercial terms within established authority.
Develop cost-reduction and total-cost improvement opportunities and lead implementation with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Manage supplier issues affecting larger customers customer-specific products important programs or demanding service requirements and coordinate appropriate escalation and communication.
Pricing and Rebate Management
Manage complex supplier price updates evaluate commercial and operational impacts resolve discrepancies negotiate changes when appropriate and submit validated files to Corporate Data for ERP loading.
Analyze supplier price-increase requests supporting data market conditions and contractual requirements and recommend an appropriate response.
Manage customer-specific rebate reimbursement by submitting qualifying invoices and supporting documentation reconciling expected amounts and resolving supplier discrepancies or collection issues.
Independently manage supplier growth-rebate and incentive programs monitor performance against thresholds validate supplier calculations and work with Finance to ensure amounts are accurately collected.
Identify and pursue new growth-rebate opportunities and negotiate improvements to existing programs for assigned suppliers.
Strategic Sourcing Risk and Continuous Improvement
Lead sourcing activities within assigned supplier or product areas including requirements definition market research requests for quotation commercial analysis supplier evaluation recommendation and onboarding.
Evaluate supplier alternatives and recommend sourcing decisions based on quality service capacity risk total cost and business requirements.
Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action for recurring supplier and procurement issues.
Lead defined procurement improvement projects involving process standard work ERP functionality automation electronic data interchange reporting or supplier integration.
Monitor supplier and market risks and develop mitigation plans for higher-impact supply capacity geographic financial or continuity exposures.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Leadership
Partner with Field Inventory Managers on complex demand lead-time order-quantity supply and supplier-constraint issues while maintaining clear ownership of supplier-facing procurement actions.
Resolve complex branch and customer requirements involving supplier capabilities commercial constraints availability or recovery plans.
Provide supplier delivery capacity risk and recovery information for backlog SIOP strategic-customer and operating reviews.
Lead cross-functional projects involving assigned suppliers or procurement processes and drive timely completion of agreed actions.
Mentor less-experienced Buyers provide subject-matter guidance and support team coverage and training as needed.
Commercial Authority and Other Duties
Independently negotiate operational and commercial terms within established authority and recommend decisions involving significant cost risk or business impact.
Do not execute contracts or otherwise legally bind the Company unless such authority has been expressly delegated.
Support special projects and perform other duties as assigned.
Skills and Abilities
Strong supplier relationship management negotiation and commercial-analysis skills.
Ability to independently manage complex suppliers competing priorities and significant delivery or commercial issues.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and the ability to analyze supplier spend pricing rebate and performance data and develop actionable recommendations.
Demonstrated proficiency with ERP purchasing functions reporting data maintenance and purchasing controls.
Strong project-management root-cause analysis problem-solving and continuous-improvement skills.
Ability to lead cross-functional work influence stakeholders and drive accountability without direct reporting authority.
Effective written verbal presentation and supplier-facing communication skills.
Ability to understand the operational and customer impact of procurement decisions in a multi-location industrial-distribution environment.
Ability to mentor and support the development of less-experienced procurement team members.
Qualifications
Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Management Business Operations Logistics or a related field plus approximately 3-5 years of relevant procurement purchasing supply-chain or industrial-distribution experience; or
High school diploma or equivalent plus approximately 6-8 years of relevant experience including meaningful purchasing or supplier-management responsibility.
Demonstrated experience independently managing assigned suppliers and resolving complex purchasing delivery pricing or commercial issues.
Demonstrated success negotiating pricing freight terms lead times and supplier commitments.
Experience organizing and leading defined projects and cross-functional improvement activities.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and demonstrated ERP purchasing experience are required.
Experience in a multi-location industrial-distribution environment preferred.
APICS CPSM or related procurement or supply-chain certification preferred but not required.
Travel is required generally up to 10% based on business needs.
Physical Requirements and Work Environment
This position is based in a standard office and hybrid work environment and requires regular use of typical office equipment including computers telephones printers and copiers. Reasonable accommodations are available to support individuals with disabilities in performing the essential functions of this role.
Ability to work in a stationary position for extended periods of time.
Ability to move within the office to interact with colleagues and office equipment.
Ability to occasionally move light items typically up to 10 pounds.
Ability to operate standard office equipment and use computer-based business systems.
Ability to comprehend and follow instructions and safety procedures.
Ability to read write and communicate effectively in English.
Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues suppliers and customers.
Total Rewards
Competitive compensation plan
Health benefits: medical dental vision short-term disability and long-term disability
401(k) with company match
Paid time off
Equal Opportunity Employer
It is our policy to employ qualified persons without regard for race creed color national origin nationality ancestry age sex marital or domestic partnership status sexual orientation veteran status or disability. Individuals are considered for employment promotion or training solely on their abilit
Required Experience:
Senior IC
About Company
Let’s Make Industry Work Better Customers have trusted our know-how and specialization for decades to lower their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), increase their uptime and provide them with customized and innovative solutions. More about ERIKS North America ERIKS, a specialized industr ... View more