Strategic Procurement Partner for Operations

Essenti Talent; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Essenti Talent is seeking a Buyer to support plant and regional Operations with day-to-day procurement execution and supplier data management. You will drive P2P discipline, ensure on-time delivery, and support cost and inventory objectives across facilities.

The role requires experience in purchasing, strong Excel/ERP skills, and the ability to analyze data and collaborate across functions to optimize supplier performance and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, purchasing, or related discipline preferred.
• 2+ years of relevant purchasing, materials, supply chain or manufacturing customer-service experience required.
• Working proficiency with Excel and ERP purchasing processes; Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience preferred.
• Ability to analyze supplier delivery, open orders, inventory and cost data, establish priorities, and communicate escalations effectively.
• Strong ethics, ownership, attention to detail, service mindset, collaboration and ability to work across multiple plant priorities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary purchasing execution partner for designated facilities and their Operations leadership; understand production schedules, constraints, working capital, and the effect of purchasing decisions on regional results.
• Execute sourcing strategies, negotiated contracts, approved supplier lists, pricing, and specifications established by Global / Regional Category leadership. Escalate exceptions and market intelligence rather than independently altering strategic agreements.
• Collaborate daily with Operations, Planning, Inventory, Quality, Finance/AP and Category Management; maintain clear escalation paths and documented decision rights.
• Procure-to-pay discipline: Convert approved demand and requisitions into accurate, timely purchase orders; confirm price, terms, quantities, delivery dates, coding and approvals; monitor open orders through receipt, invoice resolution, and closure.
• Contract and policy compliance: Use approved suppliers, negotiated terms, buying channels, and delegated authority; flag maverick spend, off-contract pricing, duplicate orders, and exceptions for resolution.
• Supplier execution and escalation: Secure order acknowledgements, maintain realistic promise dates, expedite critical material, resolve shortages and discrepancies, and coordinate escalation and recovery plans before operations are impacted.
• Inventory and working capital: Partner with Operations and Planning to review demand, lead times, safety stock, excess/obsolete inventory, open-PO exposure, and opportunities to lower inventory days on hand without jeopardizing service.
• Supplier performance: Maintain supplier delivery and defect data, support corrective actions with Quality and Category Management, and implement focused scorecards for the top five suppliers by category as deployed.
• Cost and P&L impact: Validate contracted pricing, identify leakage and cost-avoidance opportunities, quantify material cost drivers, and bring recurring issues or savings opportunities to Category leadership and regional management.
• Data and systems: Maintain accurate supplier, item, pricing, lead-time and PO information in the ERP (including Microsoft D365 as applicable); support standardized workflows, reporting, and continuous improvement.
• Customer service: Provide Operations with clear status, issue ownership, realistic recovery dates, and timely communication; reduce friction through standard processes rather than avoidable one-off transactions.

Job description

Essenti Talent is seeking a Buyer to support plant and regional Operations with day-to-day procurement execution and supplier data management. You will drive P2P discipline, ensure on-time delivery, and support cost and inventory objectives across facilities.

The role requires experience in purchasing, strong Excel/ERP skills, and the ability to analyze data and collaborate across functions to optimize supplier performance and compliance.