Strategic Purchasing & Inventory Planner

Virnig Manufacturing; Fort Madison (IA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) match

Generous PTO

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Growth opportunities

Bonus opportunity

Job summary

Virnig Manufacturing in Minnesota is seeking a Purchasing Planner to ensure materials and inventory support production schedules and customer demand. You will coordinate purchasing activities, monitor supplier performance and delivery schedules, maintain ERP data, and resolve discrepancies across departments.

You will work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Receiving, and Accounts Payable to maintain material flow and accurate stock levels, enabling efficient manufacturing

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Two or more years of experience in production planning, purchasing, inventory control, or manufacturing preferred.
• Experience using ERP or MRP systems required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to build positive relationships with suppliers and internal departments.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Track open purchase orders to ensure timely delivery of materials and proactively resolve shipping or delivery issues.
• Monitor vendor order status and communicate delivery schedules and material availability to internal departments.
• Maintain accurate supplier, inventory, and item information within the ERP system.
• Review and revise purchase orders to ensure accuracy and reconcile discrepancies with packing slips, receipts, invoices, and shipping documentation.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies involving pricing, quantities, damaged materials, freight charges, taxes, billing, and payment issues.
• Coordinate returns, exchanges, warranty claims, and supplier credits as needed.
• Review vendor invoices for accuracy and submit approved invoices to Accounts Payable for timely processing.
• Reconcile vendor statements and assist with resolving billing discrepancies.
• Coordinate with Receiving to verify deliveries and document shortages, overages, damaged materials, or other receiving issues.
• Monitor inventory levels of in-house fabricated components to ensure production requirements are met.
• Review daily inventory reports and identify items requiring replenishment.
• Track production output against inventory requirements and customer demand.
• Analyze inventory trends to maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess stock.
• Communicate inventory status, material shortages, and supply concerns with Production, Sales, and leadership.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Quality regarding engineering changes, part revisions, and specification updates that affect inventory.
• Assist Sales by providing accurate information regarding part availability and expected supply.
• Create and maintain consumable supply part records within the ERP system.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with suppliers and internal customers.
• Recommend process improvements to improve inventory accuracy, material flow, and purchasing efficiency.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Time management

Verbal and written communication

Supplier relationship-building

Team collaboration

Process improvement mindset

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Virnig Manufacturing in Minnesota is seeking a Purchasing Planner to ensure materials and inventory support production schedules and customer demand. You will coordinate purchasing activities, monitor supplier performance and delivery schedules, maintain ERP data, and resolve discrepancies across departments.

You will work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Receiving, and Accounts Payable to maintain material flow and accurate stock levels, enabling efficient manufacturing