Purchasing & Materials Planning Specialist

La Crosse Sign Group | Onalaska, WI | Full-Time

Help Keep Our Manufacturing Operations Moving

La Crosse Sign Group is looking for an experienced, proactive Purchasing & Materials Planning Specialist to join our Operations team in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys more than simply placing purchase orders. We're looking for a professional who understands purchasing, inventory management, supplier relationships, and materials planning—and who takes pride in making sure manufacturing teams have the materials they need, when they need them.

La Crosse Sign Group is a regional leader in custom signage, providing design, manufacturing, installation, and service solutions for customers throughout the Midwest.

Our operations involve a wide variety of materials, including aluminum, steel, electrical components, LED lighting, plastics, vinyl, paint, and specialized sign manufacturing supplies.

The person in this position will play an important role in managing those materials, building strong supplier relationships, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and helping us continuously improve how we purchase and manage inventory.

What You'll Be Doing

Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Purchase inventory and project-specific materials to support manufacturing and installation.
• Negotiate pricing and purchasing terms with suppliers.
• Develop strong supplier relationships while continuously evaluating competitive alternatives.
• Identify new suppliers, materials, and technologies that could improve our products or reduce costs.
• Monitor purchase orders, delivery commitments, and supplier performance.
• Find opportunities to reduce material costs, freight expenses, and unnecessary purchasing activity.

Materials Planning & Inventory

• Monitor inventory levels and anticipate future material requirements.
• Develop and maintain effective replenishment and materials forecasting processes.
• Establish and review reorder points, safety stock, and inventory purchasing levels.
• Identify potential material shortages before they impact production.
• Maintain accurate inventory and purchasing information in our ERP system.
• Analyze inventory usage, slow-moving materials, and opportunities to improve inventory investment.

Process Improvement & Collaboration

• Work closely with our Estimating, Project Delivery, Production, and Operations teams.
• Use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Excel to analyze purchasing and inventory information.
• Help develop better reports, forecasting tools, and purchasing processes.
• Identify inefficiencies and take ownership of implementing improvements.
• Communicate proactively with team members about material availability, supplier delays, and potential concerns.

What We're Looking For

• At least 3 years of experience in purchasing, inventory management, materials planning, or a related manufacturing role.
• Experience working with suppliers, negotiating pricing, and managing purchase orders.
• Strong understanding of inventory management and replenishment practices.
• Experience with ERP or inventory management software.
• Strong Excel, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Ability to anticipate problems and develop solutions independently.
• Strong communication skills and a team-oriented approach.
• Someone who takes ownership, follows through, and is motivated to improve processes.

Even Better If You Have

• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
• Experience in manufacturing, metal fabrication, construction materials, or the sign industry.
• Knowledge of material requirements planning (MRP) and inventory forecasting.
• Experience developing new suppliers or negotiating cost-saving agreements.
• Education or certification in purchasing, supply chain, or operations management.

Who We Are:

For over 100 years, La Crosse Sign Group has worked diligently to develop an organization dedicated to the service of our clients. From our humble beginnings in 1917, we have adapted to an ever-expanding and diverse industry. Our evolution into what we are today happened because of company leaders, hiring the best people in the industry, and empowering them to act decisively. We now have three locations in Wisconsin: La Crosse, Madison, and Eau Claire. Through everything we do, we will continue to reach higher and not only meet, but also exceed the expectations of our clients with our proven process of consultation, creation, and conclusion.

Our mission is to help companies make an extraordinary first impression. We all know how important a first impression can be, it can make or break someone's decision to be your friend, buy your product, or to even enter your business in the first place. At La Crosse Sign Group our purpose is to help businesses make a statement that will "wow" customers and leave a lasting positive impact. This purpose, paired with our expertise in custom fabrication and design, fuel our cause of helping our communities and local businesses succeed.

La Crosse Sign operates under EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, where we value input and ideas from all employees and live by the following Core Values:

• Leading with a commitment to excellence
• Supportive of one another win or lose
• Grateful every day
• Mindful of our actions
• Adaptable to change
• Always putting safety first

Pay: $28.00 - $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 – 45.0 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• AD&D insurance
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $28 - $35