Senior Buyer

Kadant Inc.; Three Rivers (MI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Kadant Johnson in Three Rivers, Michigan, seeks a Senior Buyer to manage supplier relationships and purchasing practices that support efficient manufacturing operations and project execution. You will work with R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Commercial, and Accounting to align material management with business needs.

The role includes strategic sourcing and EPICOR coordination for cross-functional project workflows, with travel up to 10% as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in supply chain, business, or related field.
• 10+ years purchasing experience with supplier coordination and project workflows.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain supplier partnerships and lead negotiations.
• Develop commodity strategies and identify supply chain risks.
• Review MRP messages, issue POs, manage open orders, and resolve discrepancies.
• Support procurement and project delivery through EPICOR coordination.
• Create and maintain item master records and BOMs; coordinate drawings across teams.
• Lead cost reductions and ERP enhancements for daily operations.
• Provide backup planning support and share best practices across Kadant entities.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Excel

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management or related field

Associate degree with 10+ years purchasing experience

Tools

ERP systems

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Overview

As a Senior Buyer at Kadant Johnson, you’ll manage sharping supplier relationships and purchasing practices that support efficient manufacturing operations and successful project execution for Systems and Services. You’ll work across the organization to improve material management, supplier performance, communication, and the processes that connect our supply base with the needs of the business.

Working closely with suppliers, R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Commercial and Accounting, you will combine strategic sourcing with hands-on purchasing, materials coordination, and project support. Your work will help ensure that raw materials and purchased parts meet specifications, arrive when needed, and deliver the best total value.

We are seeking a Senior Buyer who enjoys building relationships, working as a team, solving problems, and connecting the details of daily purchasing with total business needs. This role is well suited for someone who brings sound judgment, follows through on commitments, and wants to contribute to continuous improvement in Supply Chain, EPICOR, and cross-functional project workflows.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain crucial supplier partnerships, evaluate new suppliers when needed, and lead negotiations that support quality, delivery, pricing, and Supply Agreements.
• Develop and carry out commodity strategies, identify supply chain risks, and pursue alternative sourcing solutions that reduce business impact locally and globally
• Review material requirements planning messages, issue purchase orders, manage open orders, maintain pricing records, and resolve supplier quality, pricing, and quantity discrepancies.
• Support procurement and project delivery through specification review, supplier coordination, quotations, pricing, delivery follow-up, and project workflow coordination in EPICOR.
• Create and maintain accurate item master records, part numbers, and bills of materials, and coordinate drawing requests and engineering changes across internal teams.
• Lead or participate in cost reduction, process improvement, and ERP enhancements that support daily operations and future project workflows, including Corrugating team initiatives.
• Provide back-up support for planning and scheduling activities as needed, and share system knowledge and best practices with other Kadant entities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, or an associate degree with 10 or more years of purchasing experience.
• 3-10 years of purchasing experience, with experience supporting supplier coordination, quotations, pricing, delivery management, and project-related workflows preferred.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively both independently and across teams.
• The ability to read technical drawings, identify key characteristics, and understand their impact on product design and cost while developing knowledge of Kadant Johnson products and assigned commodities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with the ability to learn and effectively use ERP systems and contribute to system and process improvements.
• A collaborative approach, high ethical standards, and a willingness to take ownership of both day-to-day responsibilities and longer-term improvements.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% as required.

Why This Role Matters

Strong supplier partnerships, accurate information, and effective purchasing decisions are essential to deliver quality, value, and overall Kadant experience to our Kadant Johnson customers. In this role, you will connect sourcing, R&D, engineering, and project needs to support efficient manufacturing operations and successful project execution. You will have the opportunity to apply your experience, deepen your product and system knowledge, work as team and ensure excellence in supplier performance, information flow, and operational effectiveness.

This position is based in Three Rivers, Michigan, and reports to the Director of Supply Chain.