Sr. Buyer

J.W. Speaker Corporation; Town of Germantown (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

Short term & Long term disability

401k with employer match

Paid time off including vacations and

11 paid Holidays

Profit-sharing plan

Tuition reimbursement & scholarships

Development and growth opportunities

Casual work environment

Job summary

J.W. Speaker Corporation is seeking a Senior Buyer to own assigned commodities from development to end‑of‑life, ensuring material availability while balancing cost and inventory.

You will partner with suppliers and cross‑functional teams to strengthen performance and drive continuous improvements in the supply chain. You will analyze demand, inventory, and supplier capacity, lead time, and risk; develop contingency plans; and support NPD, production readiness, and cost opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, or related field required; 5+ years in supply chain, purchasing, materials, or operations.
• Strong analytical, proactive mindset; able to turn data into actionable solutions.
• Proficiency in demand planning, inventory management, procurement processes; advanced Excel, ERP/MRP, BI tools.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned commodities end-to-end from NPD through production, lifecycle, and End of Life.
• Coordinate with Demand Planning, Sourcing, Engineering, Quality, Operations and suppliers to ensure material readiness.
• Develop deep knowledge of suppliers, capacity, lead times, costs, quality, and risks.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Data-driven

Demand planning

Inventory management

Procurement processes

Cross-functional collaboration

Supplier relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain or related field

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Business Intelligence tools

Excel

Job description

ABOUT THE POSITION:

As our Senior Buyer, you\'ll take ownership of assigned commodities from new product development (NPD) through end of life, ensuring material availability while balancing cost, inventory, and supplier performance. You\'ll use data-driven insights to anticipate supply risks, solve complex challenges, and make strategic decisions that support our business needs. Working closely with suppliers and cross-functional teams, you\'ll lead initiatives that strengthen supplier performance, optimize inventory, and drive continuous improvement across our supply chain. No two days will look quite the same, and you\'ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact!

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:

We\'re looking for someone with a bachelor\'s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, or related field, along with 5+ years of experience in supply chain, purchasing, materials, or operations. You\'re analytical, proactive, and skilled at turning complex data into actionable solutions. You bring a strong understanding of demand planning, inventory management, and procurement processes, along with advanced proficiency in Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and Business Intelligence tools. You\'re comfortable navigating challenging supplier relationships, leading cross-functional initiatives, and influencing decisions while holding others accountable. Most importantly, you take ownership, think strategically, and are always looking for ways to improve processes and drive results.

You will EXPLORE by:

• Owning assigned commodities end-to-end, serving as the primary supply chain owner from NPD through production, lifecycle management, and End of Life.


• Serving as the critical link between Demand Planning, Sourcing, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and suppliers, ensuring material availability aligns with production requirements and overall business priorities.


• Developing and maintaining a comprehensive understanding of assigned commodities, including supplier capabilities, capacity, lead times, market conditions, cost drivers, quality considerations, and supply risks.


• Analyzing demand, consumption, forecasts, inventory, supplier capacity, and lifecycle status to identify and mitigate shortages, excess inventory, obsolescence, and supply continuity risks.


• Partnering with Sourcing to support commodity strategies, supplier selection, sourcing decisions, capacity planning, cost opportunities, and supplier negotiations.


• Serving as the primary escalation point for significant supplier and commodity issues and coordinating cross-functional resolution.


• Developing and implementing planning standards, work instructions, and best practices that improve consistency and effectiveness across the supply chain organization.


• Serving as a subject matter expert and resource for Buyers I and II, providing guidance on complex supply chain issues, analytical methods, supplier management, and problem solving.

You will INNOVATE by:

• Proactively identifying, assessing, and mitigating supply risks across the commodity and developing contingency strategies for constrained, long-lead, single-source, and otherwise high-risk components.


• Providing forward-looking supply chain recommendations based on business requirements, supplier capabilities, demand changes, and market conditions.


• Analyzing supplier performance trends to identify systemic issues and leading corrective actions in partnership with Sourcing and Quality.


• Proactively assessing supplier capacity and constraints against current and future demand and developing mitigation plans when gaps are identified.


• Leading cross-functional improvement initiatives using structured problem-solving methodologies such as PDCA.


• Identifying and implementing opportunities to improve commodity performance, reduce inventory, increase supply responsiveness, improve supplier performance, and reduce procurement cycle time.


• Identifying opportunities to automate routine activities, improve Business Intelligence reporting, and reduce manual exception management.


• Sharing best practices and supporting the development of standardized supply chain processes across commodities.

You will PERFORM by:

• Establishing and optimizing planning parameters (safety stock, order quantities, lead times, minimums, multiples, etc.) balancing service, inventory investment, and supply continuity.


• Owning supplier performance for assigned commodities (on-time delivery, responsiveness, capacity, lead times, quality, etc.)


• Establishing clear expectations and accountability with suppliers and independently driving resolution of performance issues.


• Developing and maintaining strong supplier relationships while balancing collaboration with appropriate accountability.


• Leading supplier readiness activities for New Product Introductions, engineering changes, transfers, and significant demand changes.

We offer competitive wages and the following great benefits:

• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance


• Short term & Long-term disability insurance


• 401k with employer match


• Paid time off, including Vacation, Sick & Personal Time, and 11 paid Holidays


• Generous Profit-Sharing Plan


• Tuition reimbursement & Scholarships


• Development and Growth opportunities


• Casual work environment for all associates


• State-of-the-Art, temperature-controlled environment


• And many more!

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

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For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.