Chemical Buyer

I-K-I; Edgerton (WI); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(k) with matching

Paid Time Off

Vision benefits

Disability Insurance

Job summary

IKI Manufacturing in Edgerton, WI is seeking a Chemical Buyer to ensure reliable and cost-effective procurement of chemicals and propellants for aerosol production. You will manage day-to-day purchasing, coordinate with Supply Chain, Production, Quality, and Account Management, and support strategic sourcing initiatives to maintain supply continuity.

The role requires 5–7 years of purchasing experience in chemical procurement, strong negotiation and ERP/MRP skills, and the ability to balance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in manufacturing, supply chain, or chemistry.
• 5–7 years of purchasing/procurement experience in chemical or aerosol manufacturing.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Proficient in ERP/MRP systems.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Procurement & strategic sourcing of chemicals and propellants, reviewing forecasts and MOQs.
• Coordinate supplier deliveries, expediting or adjusting orders as needed.
• Develop supplier relationships and monitor performance against KPIs.
• Maintain supplier qualification, alternate sourcing, and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Monitor costs, lead times, and inventory to minimize disruption and costs.

Skills

Negotiation

Supplier relationships

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

ERP/MRP systems

Education

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

Equivalent experience considered

Tools

SAP Business One

Microsoft Excel

Job description

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Chemical Buyer

Full Time Administrative Edgerton, WI, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1126

We are seeking an experienced and highly organized Chemical Buyer to join our team at IKI Manufacturing in Edgerton, WI. In this critical role, you will be responsible for ensuring the reliable and cost-effective procurement of chemicals and propellants that are essential to our production operations. You will play a key part in maintaining supply continuity, optimizing inventory, and supporting both day-to-day purchasing and strategic sourcing initiatives. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams—including Supply Chain, Production, Quality, and Account Management—you will help drive operational excellence, manage supplier relationships, and mitigate supply risks. If you have a strong background in chemical procurement and thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, we invite you to apply and contribute to our continued success.

Summary: The Chemical Buyer is responsible for the procurement, planning, and supply continuity of chemicals and propellants used in aerosol manufacturing. This role ensures materials are available at the right time, at the right cost, and in accordance with customer specifications and company requirements.

The Chemical Buyer manages day-to-day purchasing while supporting strategic sourcing, supplier performance, inventory optimization, cost management, and supply risk mitigation. This position works closely with Supply Chain, Planning, Production, Blending, Warehouse, Quality, Product Development, Costing, and Account Management to ensure reliable material flow across multiple customer programs.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
  • Manage purchasing of chemicals and propellants, including solvents, actives, fragrances, surfactants, additives, preservatives, bulk materials, LPG, HFCs, DME, and CO₂.
  • Review MRP, forecasts, production requirements, MOQs, lead times, and inventory to determine purchasing needs.
  • Obtain competitive quotes and negotiate pricing, lead times, MOQs, freight, payment terms, and other commercial requirements.
  • Identify cost-reduction opportunities, alternate suppliers, and sourcing strategies for key or high-risk materials.
• Material Planning & Production Support
  • Review production schedules and open work orders to identify potential material shortages or delivery risks.
  • Coordinate supplier deliveries and proactively expedite, defer, or adjust orders as business conditions require.
  • Communicate material availability and supply risks to Planning, Production, Blending, Warehouse, Account Management, and Supply Chain leadership.
  • Balance customer demand, supplier lead times, MOQs, safety stock, and inventory levels to minimize production disruption and excess inventory.
  • Support material requirements for product trials, new launches, and changing customer demand.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with chemical, propellant, and other material suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance related to quality, delivery, responsiveness, pricing, documentation, and service.
• Identify single-source, high-risk, capacity-constrained, and critical materials and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Support supplier qualification, alternate sourcing, and corrective actions in partnership with Supply Chain, Quality, and Product Development.
• Monitor supplier changes, capacity constraints, transportation issues, and other factors that could impact supply.
• Cost Management & Client Alignment
  • Ensure purchase prices align with customer cost cards, directed pricing, contracts, and approved commercial requirements.
  • Monitor material spend and pricing changes to identify cost, margin, and customer pricing risks.
  • Support supplier negotiations, RFQs, pricing reviews, and cost-reduction initiatives.
  • Communicate material cost changes and impacts to Costing, Supply Chain, Account Management, and other stakeholders.
  • Perform ongoing market analysis across the chemical and propellant markets, staying informed and ahead of market trends, geopolitical events, supply risks, and commodity price changes that may impact material cost or availability.
• Inventory Management
  • Maintain appropriate chemical and propellant inventory levels while balancing service, working capital, MOQs, lead times, and storage capacity.
  • Monitor inventory, usage, demand, and projected requirements to identify shortages, excess, and slow-moving materials.
  • Lead the annual physical inventory of chemicals and support cycle counts of critical or high-value materials.
  • Manage no-demand, excess, and obsolete materials, including customer communication, disposition, invoicing, and system reconciliation.
  • Partner with Warehouse and Blending to resolve inventory discrepancies and storage constraints.
• Quality, Compliance & Master Data
  • Ensure purchased materials meet customer specifications, approved supplier requirements, packaging requirements, and company standards.
  • Maintain required documentation, including SDSs, COAs, specifications, and applicable hazardous-material/shipping documentation.
  • Partner with Quality, EHS, Product Development, and suppliers to resolve specification, documentation, and compliance issues.
  • Maintain accurate chemical master data, including MOQs, lead times, package sizes, CAS numbers, approved manufacturers, and storage conditions.
  • Ensure accurate identification and tracking of customer-supplied, internally sourced, and trial materials.
• Monitor purchasing and supplier performance metrics, including on-time delivery, purchase price variance, savings/cost avoidance, inventory turns, excess inventory, and supplier quality.
• Analyze chemical and propellant spend, inventory, supplier performance, and purchasing data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records and provide timely reporting to Supply Chain leadership and key stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to improve material flow, reduce lead times, improve supplier reliability, and simplify processes.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that reduce cost, working capital, supply risk, and operational disruption.

Key Skills & Qualifications:

• 5–7 years of purchasing/procurement experience, preferably in chemical procurement, aerosol manufacturing, contract packaging, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of chemical procurement, hazardous-material logistics, bulk chemical sourcing, and aerosol manufacturing; propellant experience preferred.
• Strong negotiation, supplier relationship management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in ERP/MRP systems; SAP Business One and Microsoft Excel experience preferred.
• Highly organized, proactive, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Primarily office-based with regular interaction with Production, Blending, Warehouse, Receiving, Quality, and other operational areas. Occasional visits to the production floor and warehouse are required, PPE/Safety rules must be followed.
• The position operates in a fast-paced manufacturing environment requiring multitasking, prioritization, problem-solving, and communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Hours/Pay Information:

• Monday–Friday, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Some hybrid arrangements possible once initial training is completed.
• Competitve pay range and will be based on candidate experience.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Chemistry, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent relevant manufacturing or procurement experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 5–7 years of relevant purchasing/procurement experience, preferably in chemical procurement, aerosol manufacturing, or contract packaging.
• Bonus potential up to 8% of salary per year
• Generous PTO & Holiday Schedule
• Health Insurance
• Company Paid Vision
• Company Paid Short and Long term disability
• Company Paid Group Life and AD&D
• Voluntary benefits include: Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity
• 401(k) with matching, 100% of deferrals up to 3%, and 50% for deferrals of 4% and 5%