What are the responsibilities and job description for the Purchasing Buyer position at Koch Enterprises Family of Companies?
Location: Caledonia, MI (on-site)
Pay: $60,000–$80,000 per year, based on experience
Schedule: Full-time, Monday–Friday
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, retirement plans, paid holidays and time off, tuition and fitness reimbursement
About the Role
Koch Finishing Systems is hiring a Buyer to manage purchasing and supplier relationships for the custom industrial equipment we design and build. You'll source the steel, components, and services behind each project and keep them on schedule.
This is a great fit for a buyer, purchasing agent, or procurement specialist with steel purchasing experience who is comfortable reading drawings and bills of material (BOMs) and enjoys solving problems in a project-driven environment. Experience in plating or finishing is not required. We'll help you learn the equipment and materials.
About Koch Finishing Systems
We design and build custom industrial finishing equipment, including plating, anodizing, and chemical processing lines, for manufacturers nationwide. Our team supports customers from concept through installation.
What You'll Do
- Review requisitions, drawings, specs, and BOMs for accuracy before ordering.
- Purchase structural steel, steel plate, and sheet, along with industrial components such as pumps, valves, filtration systems, heating coils, rectifiers, and custom plastic fabrications.
- Request quotes, negotiate pricing and lead times, and issue purchase orders.
- Find and qualify new suppliers and subcontractors, and build strong vendor relationships.
- Keep materials and subcontracted work on track to meet project schedules.
- Coordinate deliveries between suppliers, job sites, and fabrication facilities.
- Track supplier performance and maintain records in our ERP system.
- Maintain stock levels for standard parts and manage project-specific purchases.
- Resolve pricing, invoice, and delivery issues with Receiving, Engineering, and Accounting.
- Work with Quality on returns, non-conforming material, and supplier corrective actions.
- Help manage surplus and obsolete inventory.
- Contribute ideas to improve purchasing and supply chain processes.
What You Bring
- 2 years of purchasing, procurement, or buyer experience, including purchasing structural steel, plate, or sheet.
- Ability to read engineering drawings, specs, and BOMs.
- Strong negotiation, organization, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with accuracy.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Associate degree in business, supply chain, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Nice to Have
- ERP or MRP system experience.
- Experience in an engineer-to-order, job shop, or custom manufacturing environment.
- Background in metal finishing, plating, anodizing, or chemical handling equipment.
- Familiarity with steel grades and corrosion-resistant materials such as 316 stainless steel, titanium, polypropylene, PVC, and PVDF.
Travel: Occasional travel to other Koch locations.
Salary : $60,000 - $80,000