Buyer

Job Title: MRO Buyer

Job Description

The MRO Buyer is responsible for purchasing all materials and services required to support facility maintenance and daily operations. This role actively manages consumable inventory for both production and office areas, develops and maintains vendor relationships, and partners closely with Maintenance, Engineering, Accounting, and other departments to support equipment purchases, capital projects, and service needs. The position offers a clear growth path within the supply chain and procurement function for a motivated and analytical professional.

Responsibilities

• Manage the purchase of factory supplies and manufacturing consumables to support production and office operations.
• Maintain and update XA inventory items, including adding new or missing consumable supplies into the XA system.
• Pull and analyze daily reports from XA to identify ordering patterns and develop effective purchasing strategies.
• Maintain competitive pricing by obtaining quotes, comparing options, and negotiating with vendors.
• Build and sustain strong vendor relationships and serve as a primary point of contact for supply and service providers.
• Collaborate with Accounting to develop and implement a non-inventoried purchase process within XA.
• Ensure all non-inventory factory supply and service requests follow proper approval processes and align with sound business practices.
• Track and report factory supply metrics, including spend by vendor and spend by department or account.
• Identify and monitor supply risks and proactively address potential shortages or disruptions.
• Identify and recommend cost-saving opportunities across supplies, services, and vendor arrangements.
• Work closely with maintenance group leaders and managers to determine necessary purchases to maintain the facility and equipment.
• Maintain vendor-monitored inventory systems for maintenance and MRO items.
• Assist the Procurement and Logistics Manager with setting up purchase request and requisition processes in XA, including workflow design, user permissions, and metric tracking.
• Record monthly utility spend and maintain accurate utility cost data.
• Track utility usage trends and support analysis for cost management and efficiency opportunities.
• Assist with utility service budgeting by providing data, insights, and recommendations.
• Review and approve invoices until requisitions are fully set up in XA, ensuring accuracy and compliance with purchase order terms.
• Identify the correct department and cost nature for each invoice and confirm that goods or services were received as agreed.
• Approve invoices for processing by Accounting once all checks are complete.
• Support the procurement aspects of onsite service work, including laundering services, calibration services, third-party testing (lab) services, maintenance work by outside contractors, and groundskeeping.
• Continuously improve and expand purchasing and inventory systems, processes, and tools to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Use analytical and critical thinking skills to interpret data, improve decision-making, and support supply chain initiatives.
  
  

Essential Skills

• High school diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
• At least 1 year of experience in a supply chain role.
• Experience in inventory control, purchasing, or inventory management.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in data and documentation.
• Analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret and use data for decision-making.
• Willingness to build new systems and improve existing processes.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams such as Maintenance, Engineering, and Accounting.
• Comfort working with basic ERP system functionality (such as XA) for purchasing and inventory processes.
  
  

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Preferably 3 or more years of experience in procurement or a closely related supply chain function, with demonstrated ability to understand and use data.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred, especially in a related field such as supply chain, business, operations, or a technical discipline.
• Competent use of Microsoft Office programs, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience working with ERP systems, including setting up processes, workflows, permissions, and metrics for purchase requests and requisitions.
• Ability to identify cost-saving opportunities and supply risks and to propose practical solutions.
• Interest in long-term career growth within supply chain, procurement, or logistics, with potential to advance into roles such as commodities or raw material management.
• Comfort working in a data-driven environment and using reports to guide purchasing strategies and decisions.
  
  

Work Environment

This is an on-site role within a manufacturing facility of approximately 180 employees, with about 30 team members working in the office. You will work closely with the existing supply chain professional and cross-functional partners in Maintenance, Engineering, and Accounting. The environment uses an ERP system (XA) and common office productivity tools such as Microsoft Office. The role is office-based within a plant setting, requiring regular interaction with production and maintenance teams and occasional coordination with external service providers and contractors. The organization is growing and backed by a growth-focused ownership group, offering opportunities to expand the supply chain team and create new positions over time, including a clear, linear path into more senior supply chain or procurement roles.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Postville, IA.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $65000.00 - $75000.00/yr.

Benefits and PTO provided on 1st day

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Postville,IA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 5, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® double diamond winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.