Purchasing Analyst

Purchasing Analyst

Are you looking to work for a company that provides an innovative work environment, and your voice is heard? We have a position for a Purchasing Buyer to work onsite at our client in Troy, MI for 2-3 months. The contract may be extended based on business need and performance.

Who we are:

LER TechForce is an industry leader in embedded controls, software, functional safety, and engineering talent. For over 20 years LER has been working with customers across North America to meet their engineering resource challenges. Learn more about us (3) LER TechForce: Life | LinkedIn

What you will be doing:

This is a temporary contract position (2–3 months) for a Purchasing Analyst to provide immediate support to the procurement function. The contractor will manage purchase orders, track raw materials and MRO consumables, facilitate RFQ processes, and deliver spend analytics. This role works cross-functionally with operations, cost estimating, finance, and suppliers to ensure timely, cost-effective procurement while maintaining accurate documentation and compliance with company agreements. The contract may be extended based on business need and performance.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Fasteners & Consumables Procurement

• Source, quote, and manage purchase orders for industrial fasteners including bolts, screws, nuts, washers, rivets, and specialty hardware to specification.
• Manage consumables categories including brake fluid, adhesives, sealants, and lubricants.
• Interpret engineering drawings and part specifications to ensure correct fastener grade, thread form, drive type, finish, and material (e.g., SAE, metric, stainless, zinc-plated).
• Negotiate pricing and supply agreements with fastener distributors and VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) providers to reduce unit cost and ensure stock availability.
• Monitor consumption trends for high-velocity consumables and collaborate with production and maintenance teams to right-size inventory and reduce waste.
• Conduct spend analysis on fastener and consumable categories to identify consolidation opportunities and benchmark pricing against market standards.
• Support standardization initiatives by working with engineering to reduce fastener variety across platforms, driving economies of scale.

Purchase Order Management

• Issue, update, and manage purchase orders in accordance with approved requisitions and procurement policies.
• Monitor PO status, delivery schedules, and supplier acknowledgments to ensure on-time fulfillment for pre-production parts.
• Maintain accurate PO records and ensure proper documentation throughout the order lifecycle.
• Support change management tracking during design phases, coordinating PO updates and revisions as engineering changes occur.
• Manage PO updates for raw material adjustments per contracts with suppliers.

Contract & Agreement Management

• Administer NDA processes with suppliers and prospective vendors, coordinating with legal as required.
• Track NDA execution status and maintain an up-to-date repository of signed agreements.
• Ensure NDA coverage is in place prior to sharing proprietary specifications or pricing information.
• Support management and tracking of General Terms & Conditions (GTCs), Purchased Part Agreements (PPAs), and other supplier contracts.
• Monitor contract compliance and proactively flag agreements at risk of falling behind on key milestones or obligations.
• Assist in managing the contract lifecycle from initiation through execution, renewal, or close-out.

Spend Analysis, Reporting & Budget Management

• Conduct spend analysis across categories, suppliers, and business units on a monthly basis.
• Develop and maintain purchasing dashboards and reports to support management decision-making.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities and savings trends through data analysis.
• Assist in preparing period-end procurement reports and KPI summaries.
• Partner with finance to serve as the team’s primary point of contact for budget tracking and cash flow management.
• Maintain visibility into team spend to help identify opportunities to offset cost impacts and plan for future savings.

Data Analytics & Tools Collaboration

• Partner with internal data analytics resources to leverage tools and dashboards that improve team efficiency and procurement visibility.
• Contribute to the development and adoption of analytical workflows that support faster, data-driven purchasing decisions.
• Share insights and reporting outputs across the team to build collective knowledge and process consistency.

What you'll need to be successful:

Basic:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• 2 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain operations; candidates with direct fastener or MRO category experience are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar)
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel for data analysis, pivot tables, and reporting
• Intermediate skills in using AI tools
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional and supplier interaction
• Detail-oriented with a high degree of accuracy in data entry and documentation

Preferred:

• Experience in a manufacturing or automotive environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of industrial fastener standards (SAE, metric, ASTM grades) and MRO consumable categories; experience with VMI programs and distributor management.