Purchasing Agent - Buyer

Stamping and Packaging Division

JOB TITLE: STEEL BUYER

DEPARTMENT: PURCHASING / MATERIALS

REPORTS TO: MATERIALS / PURCHASING MANAGER

LOCATION: AOC METAL WORKS – 100 HANNON DR., LAWRENCEBURG, TN

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Steel Buyer to own the sourcing and purchase of all steel and production materials for our metal fabrication facility, which specializes in CNC laser cutting, brake press forming, MIG welding, robotic welding, and die & press stampings. The ideal candidate will secure the right grade, gauge, and quantity of material at the best total delivered cost, manage mill and service center relationships, and protect the plant against price volatility and supply disruption. This role reports directly to the Materials / Purchasing Manager and is critical to margin performance, on-time delivery, and the quality of every part that leaves the building.

Key Responsibilities

• Steel Sourcing and Procurement: Purchase hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized/galvannealed, stainless, and aluminum in coil, sheet, plate, tube, and structural form; issue and manage purchase orders against production requirements, released schedules, and blanket agreements.
• Market Intelligence and Price Management: Track mill pricing, index movement (CRU and Platts indices, mill price announcements), scrap and alloy surcharges, lead times, and capacity conditions; advise leadership on timing of buys, forward positions, and the cost impact of market moves on open quotes and contracts.
• Negotiation and Contracting: Negotiate pricing, extras, freight terms, payment terms, minimum quantities, and consignment or VMI arrangements with mills, service centers, and distributors; execute annual and program-based supply agreements.
• Production Materials Purchasing: Source and buy weld wire and shielding gas, fasteners and hardware, paint and coatings, packaging, and outside processing services (slitting, blanking, plating, powder coat, heat treat).
• Supplier Management and Development: Qualify and maintain the approved supplier list; hold suppliers accountable to on-time delivery, quality, and cost commitments through scorecards and business reviews; develop alternate and backup sources for critical materials.
• Cost Reduction: Identify and deliver documented savings through resourcing, gauge and grade optimization, order consolidation, freight optimization, remnant and secondary material utilization, and should-cost analysis; track savings to the annual target.
• Quote and Program Support: Provide current and forecasted material costs to Sales and Engineering for RFQs and program quotes; flag material availability and minimum-buy constraints early in the quoting process.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Partner with Scheduling and Production on material timing and expedites, with Quality on incoming material issues and mill certifications, and with Engineering on material substitutions and new-part launches.
• Supplier Quality and Claims: Work with Quality to resolve nonconforming material — coil camber, crown, thickness and width variance, coating defects, surface condition, mechanical property failures; file and pursue claims, returns, and debits to recovery.
• Documentation and Compliance: Maintain mill test reports and material certifications for full traceability; support customer, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 audit requirements; verify domestic-content, melt-and-pour, and conflict-minerals declarations where customer contracts require them.
• Logistics and Freight: Coordinate inbound freight and delivery appointments with carriers and the receiving dock; manage truckload optimization, demurrage and detention exposure, and expedited shipments.
• Systems and Reporting: Maintain accurate pricing, lead times, and supplier data in the ERP system (Mie Trak); report purchase price variance, material cost trends, supplier performance, and savings to leadership.
• Invoice and Receipt Resolution: Resolve pricing discrepancies, weight variances, and three-way match exceptions with Accounts Payable and suppliers.
• Supplier Engagement and Records: Maintain the supplier, pricing, and material documentation that purchasing, quality, and audits depend on.
• Available to travel to mills, service centers, and outside processors for audits and business reviews as required.
• Responsible for maintaining the approved supplier list and supplier scorecard system.
• Responsible for maintaining mill certification records and material traceability documentation.
• Working Hours: Availability to work as needed and including weekends as required to support production. Expect a minimum of 8.5-to-9-hour workday, excluding lunch.

Qualifications

Required:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent steel-buying experience will be considered in place of a degree.
• Experience:
• 8 years of direct material purchasing experience, with a substantial portion buying steel for a fabrication, stamping, or metal forming operation.
• Demonstrated record of negotiating mill and service center agreements and delivering measurable cost reduction.
• Experience buying through volatile steel markets, including surcharge and index-based pricing mechanisms.
• Technical Skills:
• Working knowledge of steel grades and specifications (ASTM A36, A1011/A1008, A653, 300/400 series stainless), gauge and tolerance standards, coil and sheet terminology, and mill extras.
• Ability to read blueprints and bills of material and translate them into accurate material requirements and nesting yield expectations.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, cost models, price comparison analysis) and proficiency with the ERP system (Mie Trak).
• Understanding of freight modes, FOB terms, Incoterms, and total landed cost calculation.
• Certifications preferred: CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), APICS CPIM or CSCP, or equivalent supply chain credential.
• Soft Skills: Strong negotiation skills and the confidence to hold a position with large mills; disciplined follow-up; clear written and verbal communication; sound judgment and urgency when material availability threatens a shipment; high integrity in supplier dealings.

Physical Requirements:

• Primarily office-based, with regular time on the production floor and in the steel storage and receiving areas, where PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, and steel-toe footwear is required.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds and navigate an active manufacturing environment with overhead cranes and moving equipment.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) 4% Match
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $56,689 - $81,035