Buyer

Position Purpose

The Buyer has the overall responsibility for managing all stages of the procurement process for any materials needed to fulfill demand and customer requirements, including but not limited to glass bottles, PET bottles, aluminum cans and ends, corrugated and fiber packaging and other products. Buyers are expected to have advanced knowledge of Material Resource Planning (“MRP”), AX Microsoft Dynamics and resolving the associated MRP messages, and inventory & supply optimization concepts. The Buyer will work with suppliers to ensure product is produced and received on time, product costs are at the expected & negotiated landed cost, claims are identified and resolved timely, and adherence to fulfillment of the supplier forecast and plan.

Primary responsibilities

• Ensure Supply Plan Alignment: Monitor adherence to the supplier consensus plan; proactively identify deviations and implement corrective actions to maintain alignment.
• Maintain Accurate Purchase Orders: Update and manage purchase orders in Microsoft Dynamics AX to reflect current delivery timelines and product status at the final destination.
• Execute MRP Actions: Review and resolve system-generated MRP messages (advance, defer, increase, decrease, cancel) to align supply with demand.
• Purchase Order Lifecycle Management: Create, communicate, and manage purchase orders and associated charges through to final receipt, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Manage Delivery Changes: Immediately escalate changes in price, quantity, or delivery to internal stakeholders, and propose solutions to mitigate customer or business impact.
• Coordinate Inbound Logistics: Oversee inbound delivery schedules and collaborate with suppliers, transportation providers, and warehouses/3PLs to ensure on-time and in-full (OTIF) receipt.
• Understand Supplier Capabilities: Maintain deep knowledge of supplier lead times, MOQs, production schedules, and cost structures to support inventory planning, supplier growth, and new business initiatives.
• Communicate Pricing & Cost Changes: Maintain up-to-date records of unit costs, surcharges, and price changes; communicate relevant updates to stakeholders.
• Support Customer Service: Assist in resolving potential delivery failures by understanding product specifications and recommending viable alternative products or solutions.
• Identify Cost Optimization Opportunities: Analyze market pricing and identify opportunities for cost savings through negotiation, indexing, or supply chain efficiencies.
• Support Supplier Claims Management: Identify and document supplier claims with supporting detail for leadership review and recovery negotiations.
• Manage Aged & Stranded Inventory: Contribute to initiatives to reduce aged or excess inventory through disposition strategies and demand-supply alignment.
• Artwork & Custom Product Coordination (if applicable): Facilitate pre-press, artwork approvals, and decorated product timelines to ensure customer satisfaction and timely delivery.
• Maintain Accurate Master Data: Ensure supplier/item master data accuracy; coordinate with suppliers to gather key documents (e.g., drawings, pallet configs, CAD files) for setup and archival.
• S&OP Participation: Actively participate in the S&OP process, contributing insights on supplier risks, constraints, and opportunities to support company goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Additional SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Advanced knowledge and expertise in materials management, replenishment and inventory control and optimization.
• Proactive, timely, and excellent communication both written and oral.
• Attention to detail, demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Demonstrates initiative to continuously improve performance and department.
• Excellent organization and time management skills, ability to prioritize and plan work activities.
• Prove ability to effectively work in a fast-paced environment while consistently delivering superior results within given deadlines.
• Embodies Saxco’s culture expectations, including customer focus, collaboration, teamwork, respect, and other important cultural attributes.
• Ability to develop and maintain personal relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Two years plus procurement experience and Microsoft AX preferred.
• Prior packaging industry experience preferred.
• Lean Six Sigma experience and/or certification preferred.
• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerBI.