Senior Buyer

MDA Edge; Crystal Lake (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

MDA Edge is seeking a Senior Buyer responsible for procurement and inventory management in a small manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate will have experience in medical devices, strong analytical and negotiation skills, and a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain or a related field. This role offers the opportunity to make significant contributions in a dynamic and collaborative setting, supporting upper management with purchasing decisions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a related procurement or supply chain role.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel including pivot tables, VLOOKUP.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage procurement tasks including purchase orders and supplier relationships.
• Negotiate pricing agreements and ensure compliance with quality standards.
• Maintain supplier performance metrics and drive on-time delivery.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Interdepartmental communication

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, or a related field

APICS certification

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

MRP systems

Job description

Job Summary: The Senior Buyer is responsible for purchasing, stocking, inventory management, and supplier relationships. Core responsibilities range from procurement tasks (e.g., generating purchase orders, supplier qualification) to contract negotiations (e.g., pricing agreements, terms ). This role reports to upper management ( VP and President) and advises them on the company's procurement needs.
Must Have:

• Manufacturing Purchasing/Procurement (Medical Devices)
• Prior Small Company Experience (50 Employees or less)
• Ability to read and interpret Technical Drawings and Bill of Materials
• Experience working with ERP systems, Preferred (Great Plains/Sage)
• Candidate must live within 45 mins of the facility, or is relocating at their expense

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Payables.

Key Responsibilities:
Purchase Order Management:

• Assign purchase orders to trained staff and review purchase orders generated by others.
• Generate purchase orders as needed and submit them for review.
• Perform or assign follow-ups to ensure purchase orders are accepted and fulfilled as specified.
• Take remedial actions with suppliers when necessary to ensure timely fulfillment of purchase orders.

Supplier Management:

• Manage backordered supplies to ensure staff can fulfill customer orders.
• Maintain supplier performance metrics, drive on-time delivery, and execute corrective actions as needed.
• Verify product quality in accordance with ISO standards.
• Take corrective action with suppliers to address non-conforming materials, contractual non-performance, or other compliance issues.
• Maintain and update the supplier scorecard.
• Prepare and conduct annual or ad-hoc supplier reviews.
• Negotiate pricing agreements for purchased materials.
• Identify and qualify new suppliers based on company requirements.
• Oversee the new vendor approval process.
• Conduct supplier site visits periodically to ensure compliance with quality agreements.
• Optimize supplier workload distribution to maintain timely product deliveries.

Inventory & Procurement Strategy:

• Work closely with Imaging management on costing projects and inventory strategy.
• Perform administrative tasks, including the filing of purchasing documents.
• Record and manage purchasing data in ERP and Salesforce software.
• Generate stocking reports and take necessary actions to maintain inventory levels.
• Collaborate with the Production Manager to streamline order workflows based on demand.
• Coordinate inventory counts with the production team and ensure accuracy in stock levels.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Perform other duties as required to support the procurement and supply chain functions.

Basic Qualifications: To succeed in this role, the candidate must meet the following requirements:
Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, or a related field.
• APICS certification or a related industry certification (preferred).

Experience & Technical Skills:

• 5+ years of experience in a related procurement or supply chain role.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking skills.
• Experience working with MRP systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, graphs, and VB automation.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints.

Soft Skills:

• Strong interdepartmental communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• High drive for organization and structure.
• Personally accountable for workload management.
• Ability to think systematically to solve problems and optimize workflows.