Buyer

THE PANTHER GROUP; Leominster (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Panther Group is seeking a Buyer to join our manufacturing client in Leominster, MA. You will manage the end-to-end purchasing process for finished goods, raw materials, and components, building strong supplier relationships and ensuring on-time delivery.

You will analyze demand, create purchase orders, monitor orders, and support negotiations and cost-reduction initiatives while coordinating with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute procurement of finished goods, raw materials, components, and other materials.
• Manage the full purchasing process from sourcing through delivery.
• Develop and maintain supplier relationships to ensure on-time delivery.
• Establish strategic supplier relationships to improve cost, quality, service.
• Analyze demand trends and develop purchasing plans for production needs.
• Create and manage purchase orders; monitor status and discrepancies.
• Source materials in support of manufacturing operations, including metal components.
• Support supplier negotiations, contract reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and communicate product and material availability issues.
• Maintain purchase order status and shipment tracking in ERP.
• Coordinate inventory planning and replenishment of materials and finished goods.
• Perform cost analysis and identify cost-reduction opportunities.
• Monitor supplier performance, lead times, quality, and cost.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Design, PM, Shipping, CS, and others.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Participate in special projects and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Purchasing experience

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Time management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Epicor ERP

Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our Client, a well-established and rapidly growing manufacturer, is seeking a Buyer to join their growing company and team. This is an exciting opportunity to join an innovative organization with a strong reputation for quality, operational excellence, customer-focused solutions, and continued growth.

Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute the procurement of finished goods, raw materials, components, and other assigned materials.
• Manage the full purchasing process across assigned commodity categories, from sourcing through delivery.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships while monitoring production and shipping schedules and open purchase orders to ensure on-time delivery.
• Establish and develop strategic supplier relationships to improve cost, quality, service, and overall supply chain performance.
• Analyze demand trends and develop purchasing plans to support production and inventory requirements.
• Create and manage purchase orders, monitor order status, coordinate supplier returns, and resolve receiving and invoice discrepancies.
• Source and procure materials in support of manufacturing operations, including metal components, fabricated parts, and other assigned commodity categories.
• Support supplier negotiations, contract reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Proactively identify and communicate product and material availability issues.
• Maintain accurate purchase order status and shipment tracking information within the ERP system.
• Coordinate inventory planning and replenishment of raw materials, components, and finished goods.
• Perform cost analysis, support make/buy decisions, and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
• Monitor supplier performance, lead times, quality, and cost to ensure business requirements are met.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Design, Project Management, Shipping, Customer Service, and other internal teams.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment.
• Participate in special projects and continuous improvement initiatives as needed.

Requirements:

• 2+ years of purchasing, procurement, buying, or supply chain experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing the purchasing process from sourcing through delivery.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical and planning abilities with the ability to analyze costs, demand, inventory, and supplier performance.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience developing and maintaining effective supplier relationships.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; strong Excel skills preferred.
• Experience working with an ERP/MRP system.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership of responsibilities, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, sound business judgment, and a high level of customer focus.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.
• Experience purchasing within a manufacturing environment is highly desirable.
• Experience sourcing and purchasing raw materials, components, finished goods, or other manufacturing-related materials is highly desirable.
• Experience with Epicor ERP is a plus.
• CPM, CPSM, CPIM, APICS, or other relevant professional certification is a plus.
• Proven ability to negotiate pricing, lead times, and supplier agreements while maintaining quality and service expectations.

The ideal candidate will be someone who is motivated to learn, take ownership, build strong supplier relationships, and grow into greater responsibility over time.