What are the responsibilities and job description for the Buyer II position at Craftsmen Industries?
About Craftsmen Industries
Craftsmen Industries custom manufactures unique specialty trailers and vehicles and large format printed elements for experiential marketing and industrial solutions for brands across the industry spectrum including Boeing, PepsiCo, and Anheuser-Busch. We pride ourselves on creating our products fully in-house from initial design and engineering to fabrication and the finishing touches of graphics and paint.
Our Craftsmen team includes one subsidiary, Schantz Manufacturing. Schantz focuses on custom manufacturing of concession trailers for the fair and festival industry.
Guided by our values, we BUILD by helping bring ideas to life in a dynamic and collaborative environment and we're looking for talented individuals to grow with us!
What Do We Offer?
- Competitive compensation.
- Career development opportunities.
- Benefits including but not limited to Medical, Dental and Vision.
- 401(k) Match and Much More!
Position Title: Buyer II
Location: St. Charles, MO
Position Summary: The Buyer II independently manages assigned suppliers, commodities, and purchasing activities while balancing cost, quality, and service objectives. This role executes purchasing strategies, conducts routine negotiations, resolves supplier issues with minimal oversight, and supports continuous improvement initiatives across the supply chain.
- Promote and maintain a safe work environment by adhering to OSHA and company safety standards, modeling safe behaviors, identifying hazards, and ensuring proper PPE use when in production areas.
- Manage assigned projects and buyouts.
- Conduct routine price negotiations within approved authority.
- Issue and manage purchase orders in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to support production and operations.
- Monitor supplier performance (delivery, quality, pricing) with Quality Dept.
- Resolve delivery, quality, and invoice issues with minimal supervision.
- Participate in cost‑reduction and sourcing initiatives.
- Maintain accurate purchasing documentation and records.
- Successfully manage complex buys or high‑value spend categories.
- Partner with supervisor on negotiations with measurable cost or service improvements.
- Anticipate supply risks and recommend solutions,
- Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Finance, and Quality teams to support project timelines and production needs.
- Mentor or support less‑experienced buyers.
- Demonstrate strategic thinking beyond Purchase Order (PO) execution.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain or related field and a minimum of 2 years in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management; or a High School Diploma (or equivalent) and 4 years in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain.
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office Excel.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Knowledgeable of pricing, lead times, supplier management, negotiations, and analytical decision-making skills.
- Working knowledge of ERP/Material Requirement Planning (MRP) systems.
- Ability to manage cross-departmental projects and build strong working relationships at all levels.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
- Must demonstrate a consistent and stable work history, strong follow-through, and strong verbal and written communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supporting sourcing, cost reduction, or supplier performance improvement initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and data analysis tools.
- Experience working with ERP/MRP systems such as Great Plains.
Physical Requirements:
- Sitting, standing, and walking in office, warehouse and manufacturing environments.
- Ability to bend, lift, and position self to move about the office, as needed.
- Required to stand, walk, and use fingers and hands.
- Vision abilities required by this job include close and/or color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
- Must be able to position self to move, bend, and lift up to 50 lbs.
- Must have the ability to hear and respond to auditory signals, distinguish tones and pitches in equipment, and use hearing protection during specific tasks.
Craftsmen Industries (and its subsidiaries) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This means that we consider all applicants for employment and employees eligible for employment without regard to race, marital status or civil union status, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or any other characteristic protected by law. We also provide reasonable accommodations to our applicants and employees with disabilities in order to assist them in the performance of their essential job functions.
To learn more visit www.craftsmenind.com or www.schantzmfg.com.