Senior Buyer

Job Details

Description
Who We Are:
Smithers-Oasis, located in Kent, Ohio, is a global leader in the manufacturing and marketing of floral, grower, post-harvest and specialty foam products. We have operations in over 20 countries. Established in 1954, Smithers-Oasis' brands include OASIS Floral Products, FLORALIFE Postharvest Products, OASIS Grower Solutions, Design Master, Temprecision International and ENGINEERED PRODUCTS.

What We Need
We are seeking a detail-oriented self-starter to fill the role of Senior Buyer for our Oasis Grower Solutions division in Kent, OH. This position works independently to manage the purchasing of materials, the sourcing of new vendors and suppliers, negotiating terms with suppliers by examining examining price, suitability and availability of items or services.

Specific responsibilities of the Senior Buyer role include the following:

• Performs the planning and purchasing functions of products and materials, both internationally and domestically. Must have the ability to understand the buying and planning process conceptually and how it functions.
• Identifies and selects vendors to procure requisitioned commodities, meeting criteria such as price, quantity, quality and delivery dates.
• Sources new supplier and vendor relationships and continuously develops current relationships to maintain alternate sources of supplies, where applicable.
• Documents goods and services to prevent unnecessary shipment delays.
• Ensures compliance to ensure goods are genuine, safe, and lawfully sourced.
• Writes purchase orders and maintains orders in electronic systems.
• Negotiates with suppliers, through ethical means, for terms of purchase and planning to attain optimized cost savings for the Company. Negotiates prices for purchased material, including finished goods (excluding inter-company prices), production components, non-production material and other goods and services as assigned.
• Maintains and reports monthly SIOP plan and schedule compliance.
• Resolves quality problems with suppliers of purchased material. This includes problem solving with suppliers on new product development, including transportation, packaging and specifications.
• Works through price discrepancies or variances and resolves with Accounts Payable.
• Utilizes vendor scorecards and identifies vendors that are not consistently and effectively meeting the needs of the Company.
• Supports converting Master Production Schedule(s) into daily schedule(s) for each production area to meet make-to-stock and/or make-to-order shipping dates.
• Utilizes capacity plan to assist Operations with business needs and labor requirements for all business segments.
• Regenerates Master Production Schedule & Material Requirement Planning cycles on daily and weekly schedules.
• Maintains item master database for all items and analyzes information to assure planning information and planning parameters.
• Proactively communicates to Operations Manager the status of backordered finished goods or shortage of production material.
• Facilitates export/import shipment of purchased goods, providing necessary information to the traffic function of distribution.
• Maintains appropriate inventory levels and assists with excess and slow-moving inventory or obsolete items.
• Takes corrective action to eliminate shortages or excess stock due to changes in customer demands and forecasts.
• Supports capital projects; sourcing, pricing and placing PO's. Creates and maintains "playbook" for ongoing projects, streamlining capital projects from PO to install.
• Acts as a backup to the customer service function and/or supports customer service functions as needed.
• Supports and leads by example the Core Values of the organization.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Who We Are Looking For

• An individual with a Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university or equivalent relevant experience. APICS or ISM certification preferred.
• An individual with a minimum of 3 years of related procurement experience. Experience in a manufacturing environment is preferred.
• An individual who fully understand the MOQs and SPQ's. The individual should also have a thorough knowledge of MRP and MPS processes and how it affects purchasing.
• An individual who is knowledgeable of foreign regulations - the import regulations and tariff rates testing, labeling, or any licensing requirements.
• An individual who understands technical requirements for exporting to foreign markets.
• An individual who has knowledge of international purchasing that could affect