Job Description
Integra Mission Critical (IMC) is seeking a Service Department Buyer who will sit within the Procurement organization while being 100% dedicated to supporting IMC’s Service Department This role owns the end-to-end purchasing process for service work, including repairs, retrofits, field service, warranty support, spares, and emergency material requirements. The Service Buyer will ensure fast, accurate, and compliant procurement execution—driving supplier responsiveness, cost control, and on-time material availability to meet service-level commitments to customers.
Key Responsibilities
Service Procurement Execution (Primary)
- Own procurement for service-related materials and services: spare parts, replacement components, consumables, rentals, subcontract services, and specialized repair items.
- Convert service demand into purchase orders quickly and accurately; manage expedites and hot orders with urgency and clarity.
- Partner with Service Coordinators/Planners/Techs to confirm scope, specifications, lead times, alternates, and delivery locations (site/field/customer).
- Ensure service POs align to correct work orders, projects, cost codes, warranty claims, and customer billing requirements.
- Manage order confirmations, lead-time updates, backorder recovery, and substitutions to protect service execution timelines.
Supplier Management & Responsiveness
- Build and maintain a service-supplier network focused on speed, availability, and quality (OEMs, distributors, repair houses, local providers).
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, freight terms, and service-level commitments for service categories (spares, electrical, controls, mechanical, refrigerant-related, etc.).
- Establish/maintain preferred sources and alternates; drive supplier performance (OTD, response time, fill rate, quality, returns).
Inventory, Spares, and Availability
- Collaborate with Service and Materials/Warehouse teams to define min/max, reorder points, and critical spares lists for service readiness.
- Support cycle counts, traceability expectations (where required), and stock replenishment for service-managed inventories.
- Identify opportunities to standardize commonly used parts and reduce long-tail purchasing variability.
Cost, Compliance, and Controls
- Ensure PO accuracy (pricing, tax, freight, Incoterms where applicable), documentation, and approvals per IMC procurement policy.
- Support cost control: spot buys vs. agreements, freight optimization, repair vs. replace decisions, and alternate part evaluations.
- Coordinate returns, RMAs, credits, warranty replacements, and nonconformance documentation with Quality/Service as needed.
- Maintain clean purchasing records to support audits, customer requirements, and financial controls.
Cross-Functional Coordination
- Act as the procurement “single-threaded owner” for Service—providing visibility, proactive communication, and issue resolution.
- Participate in service prioritization calls as needed; provide updates on critical path material risks and recovery plans.
- Partner with Finance/AP on invoice matching, service billing alignment, and dispute resolution.
- Collaborate with Engineering/Controls on part identification, alternates, and technical clarification for service scope.
Continuous Improvement
- Create and maintain service buying playbooks: standard work, expedite process, preferred supplier lists, and SLA expectations.
- Track KPIs and drive improvements: PO cycle time, expedite success rate, supplier response time, OTD, cost savings/avoidance, and fill rate.
- Support ERP/MRP data accuracy: lead times, pricing, supplier records, part attributes, and purchasing parameters.
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years of purchasing/buying experience (service, aftermarket, MRO, industrial, OEM, or project-based environment preferred).
- Strong understanding of procurement fundamentals: RFQs, negotiation, supplier management, PO lifecycle, and invoice matching.
- Demonstrated ability to manage urgent, high-mix/low-volume purchasing with frequent expedites and changing priorities.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills—able to translate urgency into clear supplier actions.
- Proficiency with ERP systems and MS Office (Excel required).
- High attention to detail and comfort operating with financial controls and documentation standards.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting service operations (field service, warranty, repairs, retrofit projects, critical spares).
- Familiarity with HVAC/chiller systems, mission critical infrastructure, electrical distribution, or controls components.
- Experience working with distributors, OEM parts channels, repair houses, and local service subcontractors.
- Knowledge of basic inventory concepts (min/max, reorder points, critical spares strategy).
- Experience in Deltek Costpoint (or similar ERP) strongly preferred.
Key Competencies (What Success Looks Like)
- Speed with accuracy: rapid PO placement without errors or rework.
- Customer-first mindset: treats Service as the primary customer and protects response times.
- Calm under pressure: thrives in urgent situations and manages multiple critical requests daily.
- Supplier hustle: drives confirmations, prioritization, and creative alternatives to meet service dates.
- Ownership & transparency: communicates status, risks, and recovery plans proactively.
- Cost-smart: balances urgency with thoughtful cost and freight decisions.
KPIs / Measures of Performance
- PO cycle time for service requests
- Supplier response time to RFQs/expedites
- On-time delivery for service-critical material
- Expedite recovery rate / hot order performance
- Cost savings / cost avoidance (freight, alternates, pricing)
- RMA/returns cycle time and credit recovery
- Data accuracy (pricing/lead time/supplier master)
Working Conditions
- Primarily office-based with frequent coordination across warehouses, suppliers, and service teams.
- Occasional travel to IMC sites, suppliers, or customer locations as needed.
- Must be available for time-sensitive service needs (occasional after-hours escalation support).
