Manufacturing Buyer

Spectrum Staffing Services; Budd Lake (NJ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stable full-time opportunity

Hands-on warehouse support

Cross-functional exposure

Job summary

Spectrum Staffing Services is seeking a hands-on Buyer/Planner to support a manufacturing operation in New Jersey. The role coordinates purchasing, material planning, inventory availability, and day-to-day supply needs to align with production demand.

You will work closely with suppliers and internal teams, manage MRP/ERP data, build supplier relationships, monitor orders, and contribute to continuous improvement while performing some warehouse tasks as needed.

Qualifications

• Experience in purchasing, planning and inventory control in manufacturing.
• Hands-on MRP/ERP experience; SAP preferred.
• Strong Excel; Word/Outlook knowledge.
• Ability to read technical drawings/blueprints.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred.
• APICS/ISM certification helpful but not required.
• Ability to lift and handle materials up to 30 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Use MRP/ERP data to evaluate material requirements and create purchase orders.
• Obtain supplier quotations and support purchasing decisions.
• Build supplier relationships and analyze pricing and lead times.
• Monitor orders, forecasts, and adjust schedules to production priorities.
• Maintain shortage and production-priority reporting with Excel.
• Coordinate with engineering and operations on BOM corrections.
• Handle returns, credits and purchasing discrepancies.
• Perform cycle counts and investigate inventory variances.
• Support continuous-improvement across purchasing and inventory.
• Provide hands-on warehouse support as needed.
• Verify incoming goods and system transactions.
• Maintain organized storage and flag workflow issues.

Skills

MRP/ERP experience

Excel skills

Reading blueprints

Supplier communication

Negotiation skills

Problem solving

Organization

Warehouse support

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

SAP

MS Word

Outlook

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

SUMMARY

This hands-on Buyer / Planner role supports a manufacturing operation by coordinating purchasing, material planning, inventory availability and day-to-day supply needs. The position works closely with suppliers and internal operations to keep materials aligned with production demand, maintain appropriate inventory levels and prevent shortages. It offers broad exposure across procurement, planning, inventory and warehouse functions for someone who enjoys a varied, fast-moving environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Use MRP/ERP data to evaluate material requirements, timing and demand; create purchase orders and internal work orders as needed.
• Obtain supplier quotations, compare options and support purchasing decisions based on cost, quality, availability and delivery performance.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships, assist with supplier qualification and identify opportunities for improved pricing, lead times and service.
• Monitor open orders, material flow, blanket orders and long-lead requirements; communicate forecasts and adjust schedules to support production priorities.
• Maintain shortage and production-priority reporting using Excel and other reporting tools.
• Partner with engineering and operations on alternate materials, parts, BOM corrections and workflow needs when appropriate.
• Coordinate rejected material returns, credits and purchasing discrepancies; assist with invoice-related issues when needed.
• Perform cycle counts, investigate inventory variances and support accurate inventory transactions and annual inventory activities.
• Support continuous-improvement efforts across purchasing, inventory and material-handling processes.
• Provide hands-on warehouse support as needed, including picking/kitting, stock put-away, receiving, material transfers and basic assembly/preparation tasks.
• Receive and verify incoming goods and complete applicable system transactions.
• Help maintain safe, organized and efficient material storage areas and communicate potential workflow or material issues to management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience in purchasing, production/material planning and inventory control within a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on MRP/ERP experience; SAP experience strongly preferred.
• Strong Excel skills and comfort creating or maintaining reports from multiple data sources; working knowledge of Word and Outlook.
• Ability to read and understand technical drawings/blueprints.
• Strong supplier communication, negotiation, organization and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort balancing office-based planning responsibilities with periodic hands-on support in warehouse or production areas.
• High school diploma required; relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• APICS or ISM certification, lean/5S exposure and familiarity with AI-enabled tools are helpful but not required.
• Ability to lift and handle materials or boxes up to approximately 30 lbs. when supporting operations.

BENEFITS

• Broad role with exposure to purchasing, production planning, inventory control, supplier management and warehouse operations.
• Opportunity to directly influence material availability, production continuity, supplier performance and inventory efficiency.
• Cross-functional visibility with engineering, production, sales, service, finance and warehouse teams.
• Hands-on environment that offers variety beyond a traditional desk-based purchasing position.
• Opportunity to strengthen ERP/MRP, supplier negotiation, forecasting, reporting and continuous-improvement experience.
• Stable full-time opportunity within a manufacturing environment where flexibility, initiative and problem-solving are valued.