Direct Material Buyer

Abbott Penang (Formerly Known as St. Jude Medical); Bayan Lepas; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Penang (Formerly Known as St. Jude Medical) seeks an experienced procurement professional to forecast material needs and executePOs to support manufacturing. You will manage PO schedules, coordinate with QA/Engineering, and resolve delivery issues to ensure uninterrupted production.

The role requires strong Excel, data management, and ERP/MRP experience, with a track record in supplier negotiations and inventory optimization. Based in Penang, on-site work is expected.

Qualifications

• For procurement roles, strong Excel and data management skills are essential.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and data accuracy is required.
• Proven ability to negotiate and manage supplier performance.

Responsibilities

• Forecast direct material requirements and execute purchase orders to support production.
• Manage PO schedules including pulls, pushes and cancellations to avoid downtime.
• Support supplier quality issues and RTV activities with suppliers and internal teams.
• Control inventory levels and optimize safety stock to prevent shortages.
• Maintain accurate ERP/MRP master data and purchasing parameters.
• Monitor supplier delivery performance and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Excel

Data management

Analytical thinking

Negotiations

ERP/MRP systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field

Tools

SAP

Job description

Forecast direct material requirements and execute purchase orders, coordinating with Production, Quality and Engineering for timely procurement.

Manage PO schedules based on MRP needs, including pull-ins, push-outs, and cancellations to ensure uninterrupted production.

Support supplier quality issues and Return-to-Vendor (RTV) activities with suppliers and internal teams.

Manage ZRAW and ZSMI inventory levels, minimizing excess, obsolete, and inactive stock.

Maintain safety stock and replenishment parameters to ensure material availability and prevent shortages.

Maintain accurate ERP/MRP master data and purchasing parameters to support planning and inventory optimization.

Resolve Purchase Price Variance (PPV), pricing discrepancies, and receiving-related issues.

Monitor supplier delivery performance and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

We are looking for:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field.

Minimum 6 years or above of procurement experience in manufacturing (Direct Materials and/or MRO).

Proficient in ERP/MRP systems (SAP etc.) and purchasing processes.

Experience in supplier management, negotiations, and delivery performance improvement.

Strong understanding of inventory control, forecasting, and material planning.

Analytical problem-solver with strong Excel and data management skills.

Effective communicator with the ability to collaborate across cross-functional teams.