Buyer II

Crane Engineering; Kimberly (WI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Crane Engineering is seeking a Buyer II to support the design and manufacture of custom-engineered skid systems. The role manages day-to-day purchasing, PO placement, and supplier coordination to meet project schedules and technical requirements.

You will work closely with Project Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance to convert BOMs into actionable purchasing plans, expedite critical materials, and resolve supplier issues while maintaining accurate ERP data.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering Technology, Operations, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day purchasing and supplier coordination to support design and manufacture of custom-engineered skid systems.
• Convert project requirements and BOMs into purchasing plans; place and manage purchase orders; expedite materials.
• Collaborate with Project Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality and Finance to ensure on-time delivery and compliance with technical requirements.
• Identify material risks early and communicate with suppliers to mitigate impact on fabrication or delivery.

Skills

Organizational skills

Prioritization

Supplier negotiation

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Change management

Integrity

Education

Associate degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Description

Key Responsibilities

Demonstrate and promote Crane’s core values: Act with Integrity and Respect, Foster Teamwork, Focus on the Customer, Strive for Excellence and Innovation, Project Passion and Energy, and Have Fun.

The Buyer II is responsible for the day-to-day procurement and supplier coordination required to support the design and manufacture of custom-engineered skid systems. This position manages purchasing activities across multiple concurrent customer projects, ensuring materials, components, fabricated items, and subcontracted services are purchased at the right cost and delivered in accordance with project schedules and technical requirements.

Working closely with Project Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance, the Buyer converts project requirements and bills of material into executable purchasing plans, places and manages purchase orders, expedites critical materials, resolves supplier issues, and maintains accurate purchasing and delivery information within the ERP system.

Because the business operates in a custom, engineered-to-order environment, the Buyer must be comfortable working with changing requirements, project-specific components, long-lead equipment, technical specifications, and schedule-driven priorities. Success in this role requires strong follow-through, attention to detail, supplier communication, commercial judgment, and the ability to proactively identify material risks before they impact fabrication or customer delivery commitments

Requirements

• Associate degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering Technology, Operations, or a related field preferred. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Three to five years of purchasing, procurement, material planning, or supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting engineered-to-order, make-to-order, industrial equipment, process systems, machinery, fabrication, or project-based manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Experience purchasing mechanical, electrical, fabricated, or industrial components preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage purchase orders from request through delivery and issue resolution.
• Experience obtaining quotations, comparing supplier proposals, and negotiating price and delivery requirements.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems required; experience with purchasing and inventory transactions strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Outlook.
• Experience reading bills of material, drawings, technical specifications, or equipment data sheets preferred.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of open purchase orders across multiple simultaneous projects.
• Strong sense of urgency and follow-through, particularly when project schedules are at risk.
• Ability to distinguish between routine purchasing activity and items requiring immediate escalation.
• Strong supplier communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to professionally challenge supplier commitments and obtain realistic recovery plans when deliveries are at risk.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze cost, lead-time, delivery, and supplier-performance information, to make sound purchasing decisions.
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining awareness of overall project priorities.
• Ability to work effectively with Engineering, Project Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and suppliers.
• Comfortable working in an environment where engineering requirements and project priorities may change during execution.
• Professional integrity, sound judgment, and a collaborative, customer-focused approach.

Disclaimer

The information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee within this job. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an all-inclusive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. This description is not a contract for employment and the content may be changed at any time.