Buyer
Mueller Water Products

Position Summary:

The Buyer II provides and supports critical functions including purchasing and inventory control. The Buyer II works daily with supply chain and manufacturing to support lean inventory and procurement strategies for purchased material. The Buyer II main responsibility is ensuring all purchased materials, goods and services in support of the planned business needs and master production schedule. The Buyer II reports directly to the Materials Manager.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Responsible for purchasing and negotiating materials, equipment, and supplies from suppliers.
• Evaluates supplier quotes and services to determine most desirable suppliers.
• Maintain day to day communication with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery, system data integrity, and ordering parameters for individual materials.
• Maintains ideal inventory levels to ensure on-time deliveries, while maximizing turns, and minimizing carrying costs.
• Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
• Performs a variety of complicated tasks. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected.
• Understand the dynamics of effective teamwork in order to attain higher levels of performance.
• Demonstrate a commitment to engage teams in other departments or divisions of the organization.
• Understands and clearly demonstrates fluency in commercial components of supplier agreements.
• PFEP Making materials flow fluency, value added/cost of ownership reductions, and landed cost.
• Skilled in Make vs. Buy analysis.
• Ability to create and follow Standard Work processes on a daily basis.
• Adapt to system/technology changes as well as use of current systems.
• Financial acumen (i.e. understanding lot size, inventory vs. set-up costs)
• Operate with a sense of urgency, and distribute time sensitive and accurate data
• Strong time management and organizing skills.
• Identify road blocks in material/information flow; ability to manage exceptions.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor's degree, business or supply chain, or equivalent job experience
• Minium of 8 years professional supply chain experience
• Supervisory experience a plus
• Experience with global suppliers
• Exposure to LEAN methodology and LEAN manufacturing environment
• Experience with contract reviews and negotiations
• Enterprise-sourcing purchasing systems (ERP) - JDE E1 a plus
• Exposure to logistics, warehousing systems
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and specifications
• Advanced computer skills and proficient with Excel, Access and ERP systems

Travel Responsibilities:

• Less than 5% travel (primarily domestic, some international as required)

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other category protected by law.

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