Senior Buyer - MRO & Consumables

Job DetailsJob Location: Youngstown Manufacturing Headquarters - Youngstown, OH 44515Summary: This position is responsible for the sourcing and procurement of MRO supplies, safety and PPE, repairs and maintenance services, service contracts, certificates of insurance, capital expenditures, and tool and die across the company’s three manufacturing locations, managing approximately $17 million in annual indirect spend. The Buyer is responsible for knowing the accepted business purchasing methods and the purchasing policies and procedures of the organization. It is the responsibility of the buyer to conduct all business in accordance with the policies and procedures of the

organization, but if a subject is not covered by those policies and procedures then act in accordance with the best business purchasing standards as currently practiced or as directed by the Chief Financial Officer, CFO.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Includes the following:

Other duties may be assigned.

Check requisitions for completeness and clarity. Obtain necessary missing information where required.
Diplomatically instruct those that requisition products or services on what data is necessary to obtain the best product / service given their stated need.
Stay informed about market trends, industry developments, and pricing fluctuations across MRO, safety, services, and capital equipment categories. Conduct market research to identify potential suppliers and evaluate market conditions.
Identify and select suppliers based on price, quality, and service. Request and evaluate bids, negotiate contracts, and purchase MRO supplies, safety and PPE, repairs and maintenance, service contracts, capital equipment, and tool and die at competitive prices in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers. Address any issues related to delivery, quality, or pricing in a timely manner.
Prepare purchase orders or other agreements as necessary and check them for accuracy and completeness before issuing.
Review acknowledgements for agreement with purchase orders and resolve any discrepancies with the supplier to the best possible advantage for the organization.

Manage approximately $17 million in annual indirect spend to meet budgetary requirements. Identify opportunities for cost savings through vendor consolidation, negotiation, standardization, consumption and process improvement.
Follow-up or expedite orders as necessary to meet schedules, including reactive maintenance and unplanned downtime situations.
Keep the Chief Procurement Officer informed of all activities or problems and submit reports as requested by management.
Develop an efficient and accurate system for monitoring all open purchase orders, keeping all delivery dates updated and addressing stale Purchase Orders.
Ensure that purchased goods and materials meet the company’s quality and specification standards. Work with suppliers to resolve any quality or delivery issues.
Collaborate with various other teams (Operations, Maintenance, Machine Shop, Engineering, Quality, and Finance) across all three plant locations as necessary.
Quote, create, and monitor Blanket Purchase Orders with key MRO and service vendors. Update as needed to ensure PO line items are accurate and do not close out.
Review weekly any past due Purchase Orders. Communicate with Requisitioner or vendor on delivery status, packing list availability, or if due date has moved out.
Serve as backup for the Steel Buyer when needed, supporting purchase order creation and vendor coordination during periods of absence.
Partner with Plant Managers to source safety supplies and PPE across all three locations, maintain approved-product lists, and standardize SKUs where practical to drive cost and compliance.
Source and manage planned and reactive repairs and maintenance services. Coordinate with Maintenance to align outside vendor support with PM schedules and minimize unplanned downtime.
Negotiate, manage, and renew service contracts across the three locations, including scope, pricing, SLAs, and renewal cadence. Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews and rebid or renegotiate as appropriate.
Collect, track, and manage Certificates of Insurance for vendors and on-site contractors. Ensure all active vendors meet company insurance requirements and follow up on expirations before they lapse.
Support capital expenditure purchasing by issuing RFQs against approved capital expense requests (CERs), selecting vendors, and managing lead times and project milestones in partnership with Engineering and Finance.
Provide facilities support by managing vendors for property landscape and parking lots, trash and recycling removal, vending machines, and similar building services.

Performance Measures: Performance in this role will be evaluated against the following key performance indicators:

Annual cost savings target measured as a percentage of addressable indirect spend
Certificate of Insurance compliance rate across active vendors and on-site contractors
On-time delivery performance for reactive repairs and maintenance orders
Vendor count reduction in MRO through consolidation and standardization
On-time CapEx purchase order release against approved project milestones

QualificationsQualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

7+ years of experience in the procurement of indirect materials and services in a manufacturing environment; metals or heavy-industrial experience preferred
BS degree in supply chain management, procurement, business, or a related field
APICS, CPIM, or CPSM certification preferred

Mathematical Skills:

Skills required to evaluate quotes, analyze total cost of ownership, and communicate cost and pricing information clearly to internal stakeholders and suppliers.

Reasoning Ability:

Understanding the complete process necessary to source, qualify, and procure indirect materials and services. Ability to balance cost, lead time, quality, and risk across multiple categories and three plant locations, and to properly document these needs accurately to all departments.

Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, and walk between office areas and plant floor locations including storerooms, maintenance shops, and crib areas.  The employee is regularly required to use hands to feel or handle tools, objects and controls.  The employee is occasionally required to lift or move up to 25 lbs.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include peripheral vision, close vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. 

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties of this job.  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts when visiting plant floor and maintenance areas.  The noise level in the office environment is usually quiet; the noise level in plant areas may be moderate to loud and require hearing protection.  Periodic travel between the three plant locations may be required (approximately 10% of time).

Additional Skills/or Abilities:

Proficiency in MS Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); strong Excel skills required for spend analysis, reporting, and category management
Experience with ERP systems, including suggested purchase orders, blanket PO management, and indirect requisition workflows
Excellent communication skills and the leadership ability to drive teams and change
Skilled at negotiating contracts, pricing, and service-level agreements
Collaborative skills in resolving issues
Familiarity with MRO, capital equipment, and industrial service vendor base in a metals or heavy-industrial environment is a plus
Ability to read basic engineering drawings, bills of materials, and equipment specifications
Strong analytical and organization skills to prioritize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously across three locations
Attention to detail

Competencies: Teamwork, Collaboration, Initiative, Customer/Client Focus, Adaptable, Stress Tolerance, Organization and Negotiation Skills