Manufacturing Management Trainee

Oil-Dri Corporation of America; Ripley (MS); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with 6% company match

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

HSA and FSA options

Company-paid life insurance and AD&D

Job summary

Oil-Dri Corporation of America in Ripley, MS is seeking a Lead MRO Procurement Specialist to lead maintenance, repair, and operations purchasing at the Ripley facility. You will convert requisitions to purchase orders in JDE, manage supplier performance, and optimize storeroom inventory to protect plant uptime.

The role blends daily sourcing execution with strategic procurement, supplier negotiations, and data governance, requiring strong Excel skills, stakeholder collaboration, and a hands-on

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive MRO procurement experience in manufacturing.
• Experience with ERP/MRP purchasing and inventory processes.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics, and repair services.
• Proven ability to negotiate and manage supplier performance.
• Advanced Excel and business-reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Own MRO procurement for stock items, non-stock parts, services, tools, and consumables.
• Protect plant uptime by prioritizing critical needs and communicating risks.
• Convert requisitions to POs in JDE with accurate delivery details.
• Establish stocking strategies and inventory parameters with storeroom teams.
• Maintain accurate JDE master data: item-branch planning, lead times, costs.
• Lead strategic sourcing: RFQs, negotiate terms, qualify alternates, document value.
• Manage supplier performance: quality, delivery, service, risk, corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with approvals, accounting, records retention, and seg. of duties.
• Improve purchasing performance by reducing emergency buys and cycle times.
• Coach junior buyers on disciplined purchasing and analytics usage.

Skills

MRO procurement

ERP knowledge

MRO knowledge

Negotiation

Excel

Judgment

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain

JDE purchasing & inventory experience

Certifications CPSM/CPM/CSCP/CPIM

Tools

JDE

Job description

Compensation: Competitive salary + annual bonus

Work Model: Onsite with regular plant and storeroom presence

• This role is office-based with regular presence in the plant and storeroom. Teammates must follow all PPE and safety requirements.
• The position may require occasional handling of parts up to 25 pounds and travel up to 10%.

About Oil-Dri

Founded in 1941, Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading global manufacturer of specialty sorbent products serving both consumer and business markets. Headquartered in Chicago, Oil-Dri is a publicly traded, family-controlled organization built on honesty, integrity, and accountability. Our mission is simple: Create Value From Sorbent Minerals®.

About the Role

The Lead MRO Procurement Specialist serves as the site-facing procurement leader for maintenance, repair, and operations materials and services at Oil-Dri's Ripley manufacturing facility.

This role protects plant uptime by ensuring critical parts, consumables, repair services, and facility services are available at the required quality, cost, and lead time. The position combines daily purchasing execution with strategic sourcing, supplier performance, JDE master data, inventory discipline, and storeroom optimization.

Your Impact

• Own MRO Procurement: Manage purchasing for assigned stock items, non-stock parts, repair services, tools, consumables, and indirect requirements.
• Protect Plant Uptime: Prioritize critical, emergency, and production-impacting needs and communicate supply risks through resolution.
• Execute Accurate Purchasing: Convert approved requisitions into purchase orders in JDE and verify commercial, technical, and delivery details.
• Optimize Inventory: Partner with Maintenance, Operations, and storeroom teammates to establish stocking strategies and inventory parameters.
• Maintain Master Data: Protect accurate JDE item-branch planning data, supplier lead times, costs, locations, equipment references, and approved substitutes.
• Lead Strategic Sourcing: Conduct RFQs, negotiate total cost and commercial terms, qualify alternate sources, and document value.
• Manage Supplier Performance: Address quality, delivery, service, continuity risk, corrective actions, and onboarding requirements.
• Strengthen Controls: Follow approval, accounting, ethics, records-retention, master-data, and segregation-of-duties requirements.
• Improve Purchasing Performance: Reduce emergency buys, invoice exceptions, stockouts, manual touches, and purchasing cycle time.
• Build Capability: Coach junior buyers and site users on disciplined purchasing practices and responsible use of approved analytics and AI-assisted tools.

What You Bring

• Experience: 5+ years of progressive MRO procurement, industrial purchasing, maintenance-materials, storeroom, or manufacturing-supply experience.
• ERP Knowledge: Experience with ERP/MRP purchasing and inventory processes.
• MRO Knowledge: Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, controls, hydraulics, pneumatics, mobile equipment, safety supplies, tools, and repair services.
• Negotiation: Proven ability to negotiate, resolve supplier issues, analyze spend and inventory data, and document measurable value.
• Technology: Advanced Microsoft Excel and business-reporting skills.
• Judgment: Strong operational urgency, commercial judgment, data discipline, and ethical decision-making.
• Collaboration: Ability to influence and work effectively across Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Master Data Governance, and Procurement.

Core Competencies for Success

• MRO sourcing and purchasing execution
• Inventory and storeroom optimization
• Supplier performance and commercial negotiation
• ERP master-data accuracy and purchasing controls
• Operational urgency and plant partnership
• Analytics, problem-solving, and continuous improvement

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, engineering, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience considered
• JDE purchasing and inventory experience
• CPSM, CPM, CSCP, CPIM, or a related professional certification
• Experience with supplier performance programs, VMI, consignment, critical-spares analysis, or storeroom optimization

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary + annual bonus opportunity
• 401(k) with 6% company match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
• Company-paid life insurance and AD&D coverage
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Paid parental leave
• Paid time off and holidays
• Fitness and wellness programs
• Career growth, training, and professional development opportunities

Equal Opportunity Statement

Oil-Dri is committed to providing equal opportunity for all teammates and qualified candidates without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Accordingly, all employment decisions and personnel actions or programs such as hiring, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, transfers, reductions in workforce, and training, etc. will be consistent with the principle of equal employment opportunity.