What are the responsibilities and job description for the Buyer / Planner position at Sub-Zero Group, Inc.?
Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove - the leading manufacturer of luxury kitchen appliances - is a family-owned company known for craftsmanship, innovation, and integrity. Our products are found in the world’s most luxurious homes, and behind them are teams of people who live our values every day.
At our new Cedar Rapids facility, we’re building something special - a culture rooted in safety, operational excellence, and ownership. We do what’s right, take pride in our work, and continuously seek to improve. We win together through teamwork, accountability, and a passion for results. And we bring the energy - showing up with a positive mindset and a commitment to creating a workplace where people feel valued, motivated, and inspired.
The Buyer/Planner plays a critical role in aligning material supply with production demand to support operational excellence and enterprise goals. This role is responsible for balancing purchased and fabricated materials while driving performance in inventory investment, inventory turns, and overall supply reliability. Success in this role is defined by proactive problem solving, thoughtful risk management, and consistent delivery in support of Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost objectives.
This position will have evolving responsibilities as the facility approaches the planned production start date in 2027.
Primary Ongoing Responsibilities
At our new Cedar Rapids facility, we’re building something special - a culture rooted in safety, operational excellence, and ownership. We do what’s right, take pride in our work, and continuously seek to improve. We win together through teamwork, accountability, and a passion for results. And we bring the energy - showing up with a positive mindset and a commitment to creating a workplace where people feel valued, motivated, and inspired.
The Buyer/Planner plays a critical role in aligning material supply with production demand to support operational excellence and enterprise goals. This role is responsible for balancing purchased and fabricated materials while driving performance in inventory investment, inventory turns, and overall supply reliability. Success in this role is defined by proactive problem solving, thoughtful risk management, and consistent delivery in support of Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost objectives.
This position will have evolving responsibilities as the facility approaches the planned production start date in 2027.
Primary Ongoing Responsibilities
- Negotiates with suppliers for goods and services, negotiating the best possible price and service guarantee. Analyze and explain any purchasing variances that occur.
- Support supplier quality improvement initiatives and supplier quality returns.
- Analyze material requirements for all assigned items and issue purchase order releases/ manufacturing orders to support the master product schedule (MPS).
- Expedite and de-expedite orders as required by changes in production/customer demand.
- Work with other personnel and departments to research and resolve inconsistencies and/or discrepancies in system vs. actual information.
- Maintain system planning parameters and system data integrity for all assigned parts and subcontract services, including but not limited to order quantities, lead times, due dates, safety stock, and supplier promise dates.
- Communicate current or potential supply shortages to appropriate personnel so that alternative plans can be made.
- Execute inventory reduction plans to significantly increase turnover rate.
- Complete special projects on time as assigned by the Director of Materials and the Supply Chain Manager.
- Develop standard costs based on market/economic factors.
- Conduct on-site reviews of supplier facilities and product/process capability and capacity to assess current and potential supplier qualifications.
- Execute/communicate Engineering change notices to the production floor.
- Develop deep functional expertise in SAP (MM/PP), including master data creation, MRP execution, planning parameters, and purchasing processes to support factory launch readiness.
- Establish and validate material planning data and supply strategies (lead times, lot sizes, safety stock, sourcing) based on BOMs, launch volumes, and ramp‑up plans.
- Support pre‑production, pilot builds, and engineering changes by ensuring material availability, system accuracy, and supplier readiness.
- Competitive compensation based on skills
- Industry leading health, dental, and vision plans
- Generous 401 (K) savings and profit sharing
- On-site, fitness center, and walking paths
- Education assistance and internal training programs
- Electric vehicle charging
- Maternity & paternity leave
- Interested in learning more on our robust benefits package we offer? Click here!