Supply Chain Buyer/Planner – Manufacturing

Supply Chain Buyer/Planner - Manufacturing

Location: Marietta, OH

Job Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire

Travel: Up to 10% for supplier visits, trade shows, and related activities

Position Overview

We are seeking a Supply Chain Buyer/Planner to manage purchasing and material planning for electromechanical power distribution products. This position works closely with engineering, production, quality, scheduling, logistics, and sales to maintain material availability, control inventory, and support on-time delivery.

Products include Power Distribution Cabinets (PDCs), Static Transfer Switches (STS), Remote Power Panels (RPPs), and Medium/Low Voltage (MV/LV) Switchgear assemblies.

Key Responsibilities

• Purchase electrical and electromechanical components such as bus bars, circuit breakers, contactors, transformers, enclosures, cable assemblies, wiring harnesses, and switchgear components.
• Create and manage purchase orders, including spot buys and blanket POs.
• Identify, evaluate, and develop suppliers based on quality, cost, lead time, and engineering requirements.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, lead times, and supplier agreements.
• Monitor supplier performance using on-time delivery, quality PPM, and lead-time metrics.
• Identify supply risks involving single-source, sole-source, and long-lead components and develop mitigation plans.
• Use ERP/MRP systems to review demand, plan material requirements, and generate planned orders.
• Maintain item master information, including lead times, safety stock, MOQs, and reorder points.
• Monitor inventory and resolve shortages, discrepancies, and production-critical material issues.
• Coordinate with production scheduling to align material availability with manufacturing plans and customer delivery dates.
• Perform cycle counts and inventory reconciliations.
• Support NPI, ECO, and BOM activities with engineering and sustaining engineering teams.
• Coordinate with quality on SCARs, NCM disposition, and FAI requirements.
• Work with receiving and logistics teams on inbound shipments and dock-to-stock issues.
• Provide material availability and supply risk updates for customer delivery escalations.
• Participate in SIOP and production readiness reviews.
• Track supply chain KPIs including PPV, SOTD, inventory turns, and material shortages.
• Support cost-reduction efforts, including value engineering, supplier consolidation, and TCO analysis.
• Improve purchasing and planning processes, ERP data integrity, and material flow.
• Participate in Lean manufacturing and Kaizen initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent education and experience.
• 3-5+ years of buyer and/or material planning experience in manufacturing.
• Experience purchasing electromechanical, electrical, or electronic components.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Infor, or similar.
• Understanding of MRP logic, demand planning, and supply chain fundamentals.
• Strong supplier negotiation and cost-saving skills.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, BOMs, and technical specifications.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and supply/demand modeling.
• Strong organization, communication, problem-solving, and prioritization skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with power distribution, electrical switchgear, UPS, or critical power equipment.
• Knowledge of PDCs, STS units, RPPs, panelboards, and MV/LV switchgear.
• APICS CPIM, CSCP, or ISM C.P.M./CPSM certification.
• Lean/Six Sigma or continuous improvement experience.
• Knowledge of UL, ANSI, IEC, NEMA, and NEC standards related to power distribution.
• Supplier development and international sourcing experience, including Asia, Mexico, or Europe.
• Familiarity with customs/import compliance for electrical components.

Core Skills

Strategic Sourcing | Supplier Negotiation | MRP & Demand Planning | Inventory Management | Supplier Relations | ERP/MRP | Data Analysis | Cross-Functional Coordination | Problem Solving | Electrical/Mechanical Technical Knowledge | Continuous Improvement

Work Environment

• Manufacturing/assembly environment with moderate noise, electrical equipment, and industrial materials.
• Regular computer use for ERP transactions, email, analysis, and supplier communication.
• Occasional travel to supplier facilities, warehouses, and customer sites.
• Ability to stand and walk through production areas for extended periods.
• May occasionally lift up to 25 lbs. during inventory activities.