Job Description

Level: Experienced
Job Location: OH Middlefield - Middlefield, OH 44062Job Purpose
The Senior Buyer is responsible for executing purchasing activities for direct materials and selected indirect spend to ensure uninterrupted supply to manufacturing operations. The role brings strong ownership of day-to-day supplier performance, supports cost control efforts, and serves as a key escalation point for supply issues.
Key Responsibilities
Purchasing & Execution
- Create, manage, and maintain purchase orders in ERP/MRP systems
- Ensure pricing, lead times, and terms are accurate and aligned with agreements
- Expedite orders and proactively resolve delivery, quantity, or quality issues
- Manage spot buys and short-term sourcing under guidance of procurement leadership
Supplier Coordination
- Serve as primary operational contact for assigned suppliers
- Communicate forecasts, schedule changes, and delivery requirements
- Monitor supplier on-time delivery and responsiveness
- Escalate risks related to shortages, capacity, or quality
Cost & Inventory Support
- Support cost control by identifying price discrepancies and variances
- Assist with inventory management and working capital targets
- Support cost reduction initiatives led by category or procurement managers
Category Support
- Support the development and execution of category sourcing strategies for assigned categories (e.g. pallets, corrugate, labels, etc.)
- Analyze market trends, supplier pricing, and cost drivers to support informed decision-making
- Assist with RFQs, sourcing events, cost modeling, and price variance analysis
- Support supplier negotiations, contract documentation, and pricing updates under senior leadership guidance
- Track savings, support cost reduction initiatives, and contribute to continuous value improvement efforts
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Planning, Manufacturing, Receiving, and Quality teams
- Support engineering changes and material transitions
- Participate in problem-solving related to production interruptions
Process & Compliance
- Ensure purchasing activity complies with procurement policies and approval limits
- Maintain accurate supplier and material data in ERP systems
- Support audits, reporting, and continuous improvement efforts

Qualifications
- Minimum 4 year degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering or related field
- 5 years of procurement experience in a manufacturing setting.  Plastics or packaging preferred.
- Demonstrated strong negotiation skills
- Strong working knowledge of MRP systems
- Experience leading strategic sourcing process; RFI, RFP, & RFQ processes.
- Electronic sourcing and Procurement Tools – Ariba, Zycus, Auctions, E-event
Skills & Competencies
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate across multiple levels of the organization and with suppliers
- Strong analytical and financial rigor
- Proven project management skills with effective use of resources and completion and measuring of project success
- Ability to work collaboratively across functions
- Broad understanding of contracts, commercial terms and laws