What are the responsibilities and job description for the Buyer / Material Planner position at Naderi Engineering, Inc.?
JOB DESCRIPTION
Buyer / Material Planner (12-Month Contract)
- Location: Vacaville, CA (100% Fully Site-Based)
- Position Type: 12-Month W2, Contract
- Target Profile: Junior to Senior Buyer / Supply Chain Specialist
Position Overview
Join Lonza as a Buyer / Material Planner II for an exciting 12-month contract. This role is ideal for a supply chain professional who thrives at the intersection of procurement and analytics.
While titled as an MRP Planner, this position functions primarily as an external-facing Buyer/Procurement Specialist rather than an internal scheduler. You will focus heavily on supplier management, procurement execution, and leveraging modern software tools to optimize our supply chain.
Site-Based Work: This is a fully site‑based role in Vacaville, CA. Working together in person supports the close, real‑time collaboration and technical precision needed to manufacture medicines to the highest quality and safety standards.
Key Responsibilities
What you will do in this role:
- Procurement & Buyer Operations: Convert MRP/MPS requirements into purchase requisitions and purchase orders. Manage external suppliers to ensure timely delivery of materials.
- Supplier Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for external vendors, resolving supply chain issues, expediting orders, and managing delivery performance.
- Analytics & Dashboarding: Leverage data tools to analyze supply chain metrics. Design, build, and maintain performance dashboards to track on-time delivery, supplier reliability, and inventory levels.
- Inventory & Risk Management: Monitor inventory levels proactively to identify potential shortages, excess stock, and supplier risks, implementing swift corrective action.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, and Finance to ensure material readiness for production and New Product Introductions (NPI).
Candidate Qualifications
Must-Haves:
- ERP Experience: Proven hands-on experience using ERP systems. Oracle or NetSuite experience is highly preferred (over SAP).
- Technical & Analytical Skills:
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Strong proficiency in Power BI with a genuine passion for analytics, data interpretation, and creating functional dashboards.
- A natural curiosity for exploring and mastering new software tools.
- Procurement Background: Prior experience as a Junior Buyer, Senior Buyer, or Procurement Specialist focusing on supplier-facing management rather than purely internal planning.
Nice-to-Haves:
- Experience using Fabriq or similar supply chain collaboration platforms.
- Experience in a highly regulated Biotech/FDA-regulated environment (though any manufacturing industry experience is highly valued).
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, or equivalent relevant experience.
Interview Process
To help you prepare, our streamlined interview process consists of:
- First Round: A virtual panel interview with your prospective team members and peers.
- Second Round: A virtual interview with the hiring manager.
About Lonza
At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30 sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion, and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together.
Lonza is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.