Senior Pharma Buyer & Planner – Supply Chain Lead

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Virginia (IL); On-site; USD 72,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Afton Scientific is a Virginia-based contract manufacturing organization (CMO) specializing in small-batch filling of injectable products from clinical trials to commercial drugs.

The Senior Buyer Planner will lead procurement, planning, and management of raw materials and packaging to support manufacturing operations and projects. Strong supplier relationships and risk mitigation are essential in this fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree; 5+ years in purchasing, material planning, and/or vendor management can substitute degree.
• Experience in inventory management is required.
• Proficiency with SAP or another ERP system is required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Strong organizational, communication, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Obtain competitive quotes and procure materials to support manufacturing and project needs.
• Serve as primary contact for assigned suppliers and manage relationships.
• Monitor open purchase orders, supplier delivery performance, and critical material orders.
• Manage raw material, in-transit, and consignment inventory with accurate MRP data.
• Coordinate material availability to support production schedules and minimize shortages/excess inventory.
• Perform production and project material planning and assist with forecast planning.
• Create and maintain material allocations and pick lists.
• Define and maintain inventory policies including safety stock, reorder points, and lot sizes.
• Identify supply risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Participate in audits as required; support Supplier Qualification Program.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance supply chain efficiency, reliability, and cost effectiveness.

Skills

Procurement

Vendor management

Supplier relationship management

Inventory planning

ERP (SAP)

MS Office (Excel)

Communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain or related field

Associate degree

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Afton Scientific is a Virginia-based contract manufacturing organization (CMO) specializing in small-batch filling of injectable products from clinical trials to commercial drugs.

The Senior Buyer Planner will lead procurement, planning, and management of raw materials and packaging to support manufacturing operations and projects. Strong supplier relationships and risk mitigation are essential in this fast-paced environment.