What are the responsibilities and job description for the Buyer/Planner position at Cohu, Inc.?
Purchasing & Supplier Management
Education
- Establish and maintain primary and alternate sources of supply to meet operational, production, and project requirements.
- Obtain quotations, prepare and analyze RFQs, and award purchase orders based on price, quality, delivery, service, and supplier performance.
- Negotiate pricing, contracts, terms and conditions, and supplier agreements.
- Evaluate suppliers' technical, operational, financial, and quality capabilities to mitigate business risk.
- Maintain supplier relationships and monitor supplier performance metrics including quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost.
- Contact suppliers regarding new products, technologies, and cost reduction opportunities.
- Perform purchase order follow-up and expediting activities to ensure delivery commitments are met.
- Negotiate settlements related to rejected, damaged, or non-conforming materials when appropriate.
- Support Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programs and supplier inventory initiatives.
- Maintain auditable purchasing records consistent with company policies and procedures.
- Review material requirements and MRP action messages daily.
- Release purchase orders and execute planning actions required to support engineering and production schedules.
- Monitor inventory levels and ensure adequate supply of materials to support production and customer requirements.
- Schedule and coordinate procurement and delivery of materials and assemblies.
- Identify, communicate, and resolve material shortages and supply constraints.
- Provide daily shortage status and expedite updates to manufacturing and operations teams.
- Perform material reconciliation activities and coordinate returns to inventory when appropriate.
- Review and disposition excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
- Maintain ERP system accuracy related to planning, procurement, inventory, and supplier transactions.
- Support New Product Introduction (NPI), R\&D, and sustaining production programs.
- Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Accounting, and Program Management to meet project objectives and timelines.
- Manage Engineering Change Notices (ECNs) and evaluate material impact, inventory exposure, and procurement requirements.
- Interpret engineering changes and update planning activities accordingly.
- Participate in NPI, ECO, MRB, and cross-functional project meetings.
- Coordinate procurement activities to support prototype builds, engineering development, and production launches.
- Assist in developing and implementing purchasing and planning policies, procedures, and best practices.
- Monitor and resolve invoice discrepancies and receiving issues.
- Support processing of non-conforming material requests, Quality Incident Reports (QIDs),
- Return Material Authorizations (RMAs), and Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs).
- Review discrepant materials and participate in Material Review Board (MRB) activities.
- Work with suppliers and internal teams to resolve production, quality, and supply chain issues affecting schedules and customer commitments.
- Prepare reports and communicate material and supply chain risks to management and stakeholders.
- Maintain complete status records, reports, and documentation.
- Support continuous improvement
- Travel to supplier locations and company facilities as needed (up to 10%).
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- APICS/ASCM Certification (CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent) preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of purchasing, planning, and materials management experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), engineering, and production operations preferred.
- Experience with contract manufacturing, electro-mechanical products, PCBAs, cable assemblies, or custom manufacturing environments preferred.
- Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems and supply chain processes.
- Previous experience with ERP/MRP systems such as Oracle, SAP, Syspro, or equivalent.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.
- Knowledge of inventory management and production planning principles.
- Ability to maintain ethical and professional supplier relationships.
- Detail-oriented with a high degree of accuracy and accountability.
- Office and manufacturing environment.
- Occasional travel up to 10% as business needs require.
- Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods.
- Frequent computer and keyboard use.
- Ability to move throughout office and production areas as necessary.